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In the battle against the pervasive influence of illicit substances, particularly flavored tobacco and synthetic cannabis products, prosecutors are taking steps to protect the youth of Alameda County. In a recent East Bay Times article, local District Attorney Pamela Price announced a lawsuit against Livermore-based company Apollo Future Technology, also known as Apollo E-cigs, for their alleged illegal sale of these harmful substances to children and manufacturing of synthetic cannabis products.
Describing the company's operations as a "grave threat to the children of Alameda County,” prosecutors assert that Apollo Future Technology knowingly allows minors to obtain flavored vaping products and synthetic marijuana with little to no age verification. These dangerous substances often make their way into the hands of Alameda County's youngest residents, as indicated by @AlamedaCountyDA on Twitter.
Alameda County prosecutors seek shutdown of flavored tobacco, synthetic cannabis company https://t.co/DI9xH36q3K
— AlCo DA's Office (@AlamedaCountyDA) September 6, 2023
In an effort to put an end this endangerment of children's lives, the district attorney's office has obtained a temporary restraining order against the company. This order prohibits Apollo from selling flavored tobacco products and synthetic cannabis, pending the resolution of a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for September 21.
The lawsuit stems from a multi-agency investigation involving the DA's office, Livermore Police Department, state Department of Public Health, and the state Department of Tax and Fee Administration. It all began when a school official in Livermore noticed an alarming increase in vaping on school grounds, according to the same East Bay Times article. Vaping rapidly spread throughout the school district, impacting young students as early as the fifth grade.
Tracie Christmas, director of student services for the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District, expressed her concerns about vaping's interference with the academic success of the district's students. "It is eroding our ability to raise an entire generation with academic success," she stated in an East Bay Times article. And indeed, the insidious nature of substance addiction poses significant challenges in effectively combating its spread among young people.
This troubling rise in vaping and subsequent local law enforcement investigation began in 2020, followed by the Alameda County District Attorney's Office joining the efforts in December 2022. Alexandra Grayner, a deputy district attorney involved in the case, emphasized the underlying goal: "This is really the heart of this case — we are here to protect kids."
The lawsuit alleges that Apollo Future Technology sold banned flavored tobacco products, predominantly vaporizers and vape juice, to individuals under the age of 21 from its Livermore warehouse. Additionally, the company is accused of not verifying the age of its online customers, as required by state law, and illegally shipping flavored tobacco products through the U.S. Postal Service. To further exacerbate matters, the company also allegedly manufactured and sold synthetic cannabis products with packaging falsely claiming they were legal, natural industrial hemp products with less than 0.3 percent THC.
