WARNING LETTER
Vapejoose Inc
MARCS-CMS 585917 —
June 18, 2019
Delivery Method:
VIA UPS and Electronic Mail
Product:
Tobacco
Recipient:
Recipient Name
Stephen Knight
Vapejoose Inc
1021 28th Street, SW
Wyoming
,
MI
49509
United States
Issuing Office:
Center for Tobacco Products
10903 New Hampshire Avenue
Silver Spring
,
MD
20993
United States
JUN 18, 2019
VIA UPS and Electronic Mail
Vapejoose, Inc.
Attn: Stephen Knight
1021 28th Street, SW
Wyoming, MI  49509
support@vapejoose.com
hello@vapejoose.com
stephen@vapejoose.com
WARNING LETTER
Dear Stephen Knight:
The Center for Tobacco Products of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently reviewed the website
https://www.shopjoose.com
and determined that the e-liquid products listed there are manufactured and 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, these products are tobacco products because they are made or derived from tobacco and intended for human consumption.  Certain tobacco products, including e-liquids, are subject to FDA jurisdiction under section 901(b) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387a(b)).
FDA has determined that
your Vapejoose Blueberry Cheesecake e-liquid is
misbranded under section 903(a)(7)(B) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(7)(B)) because you sold this product
to a person younger than 18 years of age.
Additionally, FDA has determined that several e-liquid products advertised and offered for sale or distribution on your website are misbranded under section 903(a)(7)(B) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(7)(B)) and section 903(a)(1) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(1)) and/or section 903(a)(7)(A) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(7)(A)) because your website regarding e-liquid products fails to include the required nicotine warning statement for these e-liquid products.
Sales to Minors Violation
FDA’s investigation of
the website
https://www.shopjoose.com
revealed that you sold an e-liquid product to a minor.  Specifically,
during our investigation of
https://www.shopjoose.com
, a person younger than 18 years of age purchased
Vapejoose Blueberry Cheesecake e-liquid
from
your website.  No retailer may sell covered tobacco products, including e-liquid, cigar, pipe tobacco, waterpipe tobacco, and dissolvable tobacco products, as well as electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) products that contain any tobacco derivative, to a person younger than 18 years of age under 21 C.F.R. § 1140.14(b).  Under 21 C.F.R. § 1140.3, a “covered tobacco product” is defined as any tobacco product deemed to be subject to chapter IX of the FD&C Act by 21 C.F.R. § 1100.2, excluding components or parts not made or derived from tobacco.  Before 21 C.F.R. § 1100.2 became effective, only cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and cigarette tobacco were subject to chapter IX of the FD&C Act.  21 C.F.R. § 1100.2 deems all other tobacco products, except accessories of such tobacco products, subject to chapter IX and its implementing regulations.  The product cited in this violation is a “covered tobacco product.”  Under section 903(a)(7)(B) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(7)(B)), tobacco products are misbranded if sold or distributed in violation of regulations prescribed under section 906(d) of the FD&C Act, including those within 21 C.F.R. Part 1140.  Because this product is sold or distributed to persons younger than 18 years of age in violation of 21 C.F.R. § 1140.14(b), this product is misbranded under section 903(a)(7)(B) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(7)(B)).
E-Liquid Products with Labeling and/or Advertising that Fails to Include the Required Nicotine Warning Statement are Misbranded
Additionally, our review of the website
https://www.shopjoose.com
r
evealed that the labeling and/or advertising for several e-liquid products that you manufacturer, advertise, and offer for sale or distribution in the United States does not include the required nicotine warning statement, for example: Vapejoose Fruitastic 30mL, Vapejoose Menthol 30mL, Vapejoose Grape Freeze 30mL, Vapejoose Electrical Forest 30mL, Vapejoose Arctic Blast 30mL, The Triad Project – Blackmail 100ML, Foggy Bottle Boy – Pudge Milk 100ML, and Cloud Nectar – Iris 100ML.
Under
21 C.F.R. § 1143.3,
labeling and advertising for cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and covered tobacco products (other than cigars), such as
e-liquid
products
, must bear the following warning statement:
WARNING:  This product contains nicotine.  Nicotine is an addictive chemical.
For cigarette tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and covered tobacco products other than cigars, it is unlawful for any person to manufacture, package, sell, offer to sell, distribute, or import for sale or distribution in the United States such product unless such tobacco product package bears the following required warning statement on the package label:  “WARNING:  This product contains nicotine.  Nicotine is an addictive chemical” (21 C.F.R. § 1143.3(a)).  It also is unlawful for such tobacco product manufacturer, packager, importer, distributor, or retailer of the tobacco product to advertise or cause to be advertised within the United States any tobacco product unless each advertisement bears the required warning statement (21 C.F.R. § 1143.3(b)).  Under 21 C.F.R. § 1140.3, a “covered tobacco product” is defined as any tobacco product deemed to be subject to the FD&C Act under 21 C.F.R. § 1100.2, excluding components or parts not made or derived from tobacco.  Before 21 C.F.R. § 1100.2 became effective, only cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, roll-your-own tobacco, and cigarette tobacco were subject to chapter IX of the FD&C Act.  21 C.F.R. § 1100.2 deems all other tobacco products, except accessories of such tobacco products, subject to chapter IX and its implementing regulations.  The products cited in this violation are “covered tobacco products.”  Under section 903(a)(7)(B) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387
c(a)(7)(B)), tobacco products are misbranded if sold or distributed in violation of regulations prescribed under section 906(d) of the FD&C Act, including those within 21 C.F.R. Part 1143.  Because your website regarding e-liquid products does not include the required nicotine warning statement for these products, in violation of 21 C.F.R. § 1143.3(a) and/or 21 C.F.R. § 1143.3(b), your
e-liquid
products
,
are misbranded under section 903(a)(7)(B) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C.
§ 387c(a)(7)(B)).
In addition, a tobacco product is misbranded under section 903(a)(1) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(1)) if its labeling is false or misleading in any particular.  A tobacco product is misbranded under section 903(a)(7)(A) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(7)(A)) if, in the case of any tobacco product distributed or offered for sale in any State, its advertising is false or misleading in any particular.  Under section 201(n) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 321(n)), in determining whether labeling and/or advertising is misleading, the agency considers, among other things, the failure to reveal material facts concerning the consequences that may result from the customary or usual use of the product.
Because your website regarding
e-liquid
products does
not include the required nicotine warning statement for these products, your e-liquid
products
are
misbranded under section 903(a)(1) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(1)) and/or section 903(a)(7)(A) of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. § 387c(a)(7)(A)).
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), in any other media in which you advertise, and in any retail establishments comply 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 any 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. If you do not believe that your products are in violation of the FD&C Act, include your reasoning and any supporting information for our consideration. You can find the FD&C Act through links on FDA’s homepage at
http://www.fda.gov
.
Please note your reference number,
RW1901118, 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 UPS and Electronic Mail
cc:
Stephen Knight
2939 N. Saddle Ridge Ct.
Rockford, MI 49341
GoDaddy, LLC
abuse@godaddy.com
Shopify, Inc.
abuse@shopify.net
Content current as of:
07/16/2019
Regulated Product(s)
Tobacco