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h e   U . S .   I m m i g r a t i o n   a n d   C u s t o m s   E n f o r c e m e n t ’ s   H o m e l a n d   S e c u r i t y   I n v e s t i g a t i o n s - l e d   N a t i o n a l   I n t e l l e c t u a l
                             P r o p e r t y   R i g h t s   C o o r d i n a t i o n   C e n t e r   ( N I P R C C / I P R   C e n t e r ) ,   i n   c o l l a b o r a t i o n   w i t h   i n d u s t r y   p a r t n e r s ,   h e a l t h
             c a r e   o r g a n i z a t i o n s ,   a n d   l a w   e n f o r c e m e n t ,   i n v e s t i g a t e s   I n t e l l e c t u a l   P r o p e r t y   T h e f t   t o   c o n t a i n   t h e   p r o b l e m   a n d
             h o l d   p e r p e t r a t o r s   r e s p o n s i b l e .

             T h e   I P R   C e n t e r   i s   n o w   t e a m i n g   u p   w i t h   t h e   N a t i o n a l   C r i m e   P r e v e n t i o n   C o u n c i l   ( N C P C )   t o   r a i s e   a w a r e n e s s   o n   t h e
             p u b l i c   h e a l t h   c o n s e q u e n c e s   o f   c o u n t e r f e i t   a n d   o t h e r   b l a c k - m a r k e t   v a p o r   p r o d u c t s   a n d   p r o v i d e   r e s o u r c e s   t o   l a w
             e n f o r c e m e n t   a n d   a d u l t   c o m m u n i t y   l e a d e r s   t o   f i g h t   b a c k   a g a i n s t   s e l l e r s   o f   t h e s e   i l l i c i t   p r o d u c t s .


             A n   e m e r g i n g   c o n c e r n   a c r o s s   t h e   c o u n t r y ,   b l a c k - m a r k e t   v a p o r   p r o d u c t s   p r e s e n t   m a n y   i s s u e s   i m p a c t i n g   o u r   l o c a l
             c o m m u n i t i e s .   F i r s t   a n d   f o r e m o s t ,   t h e y   u n d e r m i n e   t o b a c c o - c o n t r o l   m e a s u r e s   t o   a d d r e s s   u n d e r a g e   u s e   o f   t o b a c c o
             a n d   n i c o t i n e   p r o d u c t s .   B e c a u s e   t h e s e   i l l i c i t   p r o d u c t s   o f t e n   a r e   s o l d   o n l i n e   w i t h   l i t t l e   t o   n o   a g e - v e r i f i c a t i o n   o r
             t h r o u g h   s o c i a l   s o u r c i n g   o u t s i d e   o f   t r a d i t i o n a l   r e t a i l   c h a n n e l s ,   t h e y   a r e   e a s i e r   f o r   y o u t h   t o   a c c e s s .   M o r e o v e r ,   t h e s e
             p r o d u c t s   m a y   p r e s e n t   a d d i t i o n a l   h e a l t h   a n d   s a f e t y   r i s k s   f o r   a d u l t   c o n s u m e r s ,   g i v e n   t h e   u n k n o w n   c h e m i c a l s   a n d
             s u b s t a n c e s   t h e y   m a y   c o n t a i n ,   t h e   p o o r   m a n n e r   i n   w h i c h   t h e y   a r e   m a n u f a c t u r e d ,   a n d   t h e   a b i l i t y   f o r   u s e r s   t o   a d d
             i l l i c i t   s u b s t a n c e s   l i k e   t e t r a h y d r o c a n n a b i n o l   ( T H C ) .   T h e y   a l s o   c o n t r i b u t e   t o   a n d   f a c i l i t a t e   o t h e r   c r i m i n a l   a c t i v i t y
             t h a t   t h r e a t e n s   o u r   e c o n o m y ,   p u b l i c   h e a l t h ,   a n d   c o m m u n i t y   s a f e t y ,   a s   w e l l   a s   v i o l a t e   t h e   i n t e l l e c t u a l   p r o p e r t y
             r i g h t s   o f   U . S .   c o m p a n i e s .


             W e   i n v i t e   o r g a n i z a t i o n s   w i t h   a   v e s t e d   i n t e r e s t   i n   p u b l i c   h e a l t h   a n d
                                                                                                                  [T]o the extent that such
                                                                                                                  [T]o the extent that such
             c o m b a t t i n g   i l l e g a l   a c t i v i t y   t o   m a k e   t h i s   t o o l k i t   t h e i r   o w n   a n d   s h a r e   i t   i n
                                                                                                                 products are sold through
                                                                                                                 products are sold through
             t h e i r   c o m m u n i t i e s .   T o g e t h e r ,   w e   c a n   a d d r e s s   t h e   g r o w i n g   b l a c k   m a r k e t   o f
                                                                                                                 nontraditional retail channels,
                                                                                                                 nontraditional retail channels,
             v a p o r   p r o d u c t s   t h a t   i s   i m p a c t i n g   o u r   n e i g h b o r h o o d s   a n d   u n d e r c u t t i n g   o u r
                                                                                                                 such as social sources or online
                                                                                                                 such as social sources or online
             l a w s   a n d   b r o a d e r   p u b l i c   h e a l t h   a n d   s a f e t y   o b j e c t i v e s .
                                                                                                                 commercial marketplaces that
                                                                                                                 commercial marketplaces that
             A l l   b e s t   w i s h e s   f o r   a   s a f e   a n d   h e a l t h y   y e a r ,
                                                                                                                 do not include age-verification
                                                                                                                 do not include age-verification
                                                                                                                 requirements, they pose an
                                                                                                                 requirements, they pose an
                                                                                                                 increased risk of being
                                                                                                                 increased risk of being
             A n n   M .   H a r k i n s
                                                                                                                 accessed by minors.*
                                                                                                                 accessed by minors.*
             P r e s i d e n t   a n d   C h i e f   E x e c u t i v e   O f f i c e r
             N a t i o n a l   C r i m e   P r e v e n t i o n   C o u n c i l
                                                                                        *FDA, Guidance for Industry: Enforcement Priorities for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) and Other Deemed
                                                                                                             Products on the Market Without Premarket Authorization (Revised)” (April 2020).
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