WARNING LETTER
http://www.cigarettes-mart.com
MARCS-CMS 552565 —
April 06, 2018
Recipient:
Recipient Name
YaJing Yang
http://www.cigarettes-mart.com
United States
Issuing Office:
Center for Tobacco Products
United States
Center for Tobacco Products
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20993
VIA Electronic Mail
APR 6, 2018
YaJing Yang
FBE7D1B89C7F4A6C95D90F6FF155E88B.PROTECT@WHOISGUARD.COM
WARNING LETTER
Dear YaJing Yang:
The Center for Tobacco Products of
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reviewed the website
http://www.cigarettes-mart.com
and determined that the cigarette products listed there are offered for sale or distribution to customers in the United States. Under section 201(rr) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (
FD&C Act
) (21 U.S.C. § 321(rr)), as amended by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act), these products are tobacco products because they are made or derived from tobacco and intended for human consumption. Certain tobacco products, including cigarettes, are subject to FDA jurisdiction under section 901(b) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387a(b)).
FDA has determined that several cigarette products
are adulterated under section 902(8) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387b(8)) because they are modified risk tobacco products sold or distributed without an FDA order in effect that permits such sale or distribution.
Additionally, FDA has determined that several cigarette products
are adulterated under section 902(5) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387b(5)) or misbranded under section 903(a)(1) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(1)) or section 903(a)(7)(A) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(7)(A)) because they purport to contain a natural or artificial characterizing flavor.
Modified Risk Tobacco Product Violations
Our review of the website
http://www.cigarettes-mart.com
revealed that you sell or distribute cigarette products that are described ashaving a reduced level of/exposure to a substance.  Specifically, the website includes the following claim: Lord Extra described as “Low Tar”; Lord Extra (hard box) described as “Low Nicotine”; Lord 100 described as “Low Tar”;andLord 100 (soft box) described as “Low Nicotine.”
A tobacco product is considered a “modified risk tobacco product” under section 911(b)(2)(A)(i) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387k(b)(2)(A)(i)) if its label, labeling, or advertising explicitly or implicitly represents that:(1) the product presents a lower risk of tobacco-related disease or is less harmful than one or more other commercially marketed tobacco products; (2) the product or its smoke contains a reduced level of a substance or presents a reduced exposure to a substance; or (3) the product or its smoke does not contain or is free of a substance. Under section 911(a) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387k(a)), no person may introduce or deliver for introduction into interstate commerce any modified risk tobacco product without an FDA order in effect under section 911(g) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387k(g)). A product that is in violation of section 911(a) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387k(a)) is adulterated under section 902(8) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387b(8)).
The above listed products are modified risk tobacco products because the website describes them as containing a reduced level of a substance. Because these product are sold or distributed to customers in the United States without an appropriate FDA order in effect under section 911(g) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387k(g)), these products are adulterated under section 902(8) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387b(8)).
Flavored Cigarette Violations
Additionally,our review of the website
http://www.cigarettes-mart.com
revealed that you offer for sale or distribute the following cigarette products: Calume Cherry, Denim Mint, Unitas Excellent Lemon Mint, Unitas Excellent Exotic Mango, Oris Slims Double Apple, Oris Strawberry, Springwater Cherry, Style Super Slims Mint, Unitas Excellent Sweetie (strawberry), and West Lemon Fresh.
These products are purported to contain an artificial or natural flavor that is a characterizing flavor of the products. Section 907(a)(1)(A) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387g(a)(1)(A)) provides:
[A] cigarette or any of its component parts (including the tobacco, filter, or paper) shall not contain, as a constituent (including a smoke constituent) or additive, an artificial or natural flavor (other than tobacco or menthol) or an herb or spice . . . that is a characterizing flavor of the tobacco product or tobacco smoke.
Cigarettes that are distributed or offered for sale in the United States in violation of this provision are adulterated under section 902(5) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387b(5)).  Thus, your flavored cigarette products areadulterated under section 902(5) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387b(5)).
If, however, these cigarette products do not contain a characterizing flavor, they are misbranded under section 903(a)(1) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(1)) or section 903(a)(7)(A) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(7)(A)) as their labeling or advertising is false or misleading because it makes the representation that the products contain, for example, cherry, mint, mango, lemon, apple, or strawberry as a characterizing flavor of the tobacco products.
Conclusion and Requested Actions
The violations discussed in this letter do not necessarily constitute an exhaustive list. You should immediately correct the violations that are referenced above, as well as violations that are the same as or similar to those stated above,
and take any necessary actions to bring your tobacco products into compliance with the FD&C Act.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your tobacco products and all related labeling and/or advertising on this website, on any other websites (including e-commerce, social networking, or search engine websites),
and in any other media in which you advertisecomply with each applicable provision of the FD&C Act and FDA’s implementing regulations.
Failure to ensure full compliance with the FD&C Act may result in FDA initiating further action without notice, including, but not limited to, civil money penalties, no-tobacco-sale orders, criminal prosecution, seizure, and/or injunction. Please note that adulterated and misbranded tobacco products offered for import into the United States are subject to detention and refusal of admission.
Please submit a written response to this letter within 15 working days from the date of receipt describing your corrective actions, including the dates on which you discontinued the violative labeling, advertising, sale, and/or distribution of these tobacco products and your plan for maintaining compliance with the FD&C Act. You can find the FD&C Act through links on FDA’s homepage at
http://www.fda.gov
.
Please note your reference number, RW1800850, in your response and direct your response to the following address:
DPAL-WL Response, Office of Compliance and Enforcement
FDA Center for Tobacco Products
c/o Document Control Center
Building 71, Room G335
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring, MD 20993-0002
If you have any questions about the content of this letter, please contact Ele Ibarra-Pratt at (301) 796-9235
or via email at
CTPCompliance@fda.hhs.gov
.
Sincerely,
/S/
Ann Simoneau, J.D.
Director
Office of Compliance and Enforcement
Center for Tobacco Products
VIA Electronic Mail
cc:
eNom. Inc.
abuse@enom.com
Linode, LLC
abuse@linode.com
Content current as of:
04/17/2018