In a clear bid to snuff out the illicit sale of flavored tobaccos, the San Diego City Attorney’s Office has just scored a noteworthy victory against Vapor Authority Inc. The settlement, disclosed in a news release from the City Attorney's Office, culminates a legal tussle that began last year over charges that the vape company was hawking flavored tobacco products despite bans at both the state and local levels.
The complaint, originally filed in 2024, charged that Vapor Authority continued brazenly to sell flavored tobacco products even after a statewide embargo was enacted on December 21, 2022. These sales persisted, according to the lawsuit, until at least November 21, 2024. Coughing up a $100,000 penalty, Vapor Authority has now agreed to comply with a three-year injunction against selling these products, in a definitive settlement intended to address the spike in youth e-cigarette use linked to such flavor-additive tobaccos.
The City Attorney's Office appears in no mood to cut corners regarding businesses that prioritize profits over health. Ferbert said, "We will continue to safeguard the health of our community, especially our youth, and take action against those who put profits over people." Vapor Authority bigwigs Todd Skezas (CEO) and Saman Mike Ebrahimi (CFO) are named defendants in a case that clearly marks San Diego's determined stance on upholding public health over business interest, sending a stark warning to others in the industry.
The ACE (Affirmative Civil Enforcement) Unit of the City Attorney's Office actively pursues public interest actions on behalf of Californians, signaling ongoing efforts to bring entities that flout the UCL (Unfair Competition Law) to justice. This settlement with Vapor Authority, with no airs or extravagance, merely underlines the office’s stern resolve to clamp down on such illicit activities.
