Alaska AG warns 1,500+ retailers to stop selling unauthorized vapes and nicotine pouches

Key Takeaways

• Alaska’s attorney general sent warning letters to more than 1,500 retailers and distributors
• Letters warn against selling FDA-unauthorized products, including e-cigarettes and oral nicotine pouches
• State focus includes products marketed to youth, such as flavored items and devices with built-in games
• Letters point retailers to FDA-authorized lists: 39 vape products and 26 pouch products
• Alaska also highlighted lithium-ion battery disposal concerns and fire risks

2Firsts, March 5, 2026

According to Law360, the Alaska attorney general has sent warning letters to more than 1,500 retailers and distributors, cautioning them against selling tobacco products — such as e-cigarettes and oral nicotine pouches — that have not been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In a press release, Attorney General Stephen J. Cox said the effort is aimed at removing unauthorized products from store shelves, particularly those marketed toward children.

Cox said flavored disposable vapes and nicotine pouches found in convenience stores, smoke shops and grocery stores across Alaska are largely manufactured in China and imported illegally into the United States. He said manufacturers have not completed the FDA-required marketing order process, and such products therefore cannot be sold in Alaska.

Cox added that federal law requires FDA authorization before these products can be marketed or sold, and without FDA review, their ingredients and health effects cannot be verified.

The release said the letters advise retailers to review FDA-authorized product lists — which include 39 vape products and 26 pouch products — and noted that unauthorized products include those marketed with fruit or candy flavors or featuring built-in games that incentivize vaping.

Cox also warned that youth face heightened risks from nicotine, including potential brain harm and addiction, and urged residents to dispose of unauthorized products properly, especially those with lithium-ion batteries that can cause fires if damaged.

The report also noted prior FDA warning letters involving unauthorized e-cigarette products with games, a New York City lawsuit filed last year alleging sales of unauthorized vapes with game-like features, and ongoing legal challenges to state restrictions in federal appellate courts, including matters in the Fifth Circuit (Mississippi) and the Fourth Circuit (Virginia and North Carolina).

Image Source: Law360