Price Point Distributors, Inc. Ceases Operations Following City Lawsuit
City Cases Continue Against Other Defendants Illegally Selling Vapes
Another Notch in Mayor Adams’ Successful Efforts to Protect Children and New Yorkers from
Dangerous, Illegal Products; Over 1,400 Illegal Cannabis Businesses Sealed, Over $96 Million
in Illegal Products Seized Through “Operation Padlock to Protect”
NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Corporation Counsel Muriel Goode-Trufant today announced a Consent Order permanently closing the business operations of online vape seller Price Point Distributors, Inc . The order against the Long Island-based vape seller — coming as a result of the city’s lawsuit against Price Point in November 2024 — ceases the business’s nationwide sales of disposable flavored “vapes,” the most popular devices for nicotine use among young people. According to today’s Consent Order, Price Point has closed its online e-cigarette business and agreed to cease illegal vape sales in the future. If the company continues to illegally sell vapes in violation of this agreement, it will pay $1,000.00 for each prohibited sale.
“For years, we have said that we will do everything in our power to stem the flow of illegal and harmful products into our city, especially to our youngest New Yorkers. Today’s agreement is yet another victory in our successful campaign to protect New Yorkers against illegal vape distributors and their efforts to push illegal products on our most vulnerable populations,” said Mayor Adams. “Now, thanks to our proactive actions, we have successfully put Price Point out of business, safeguarding the entire country and building on our visible accomplishments in closing down over 1,400 illegal cannabis shops and seizing over $96 million of illegal products. Every day, we are working to make New York City a safer, more affordable city that is the best place to raise a family, and there’s no denying that our huge successes against the tide of illegal vape products visibly helps deliver on that mission daily.”
“This settlement is a victory for public health and the rule of law,” said Corporation Counsel Goode-Trufant. “Vape distributors who believe they can illegally line their pockets at the expense of our young people will be sorely mistaken. We will be carefully monitoring this agreement to ensure compliance.”
In addition to the city’s November 2022 lawsuit, in July 2023, the Adams administration announced that the City of New York had filed a federal lawsuit against four major distributors of illegal flavored vapes, including the nation’s largest vape distributor. In April 2024, the administration announced a second lawsuit against 11 wholesalers located in New York City; that case has now been transferred to federal court. Both actions target distributors for their part in the illegal sale of flavored disposable e-cigarettes, the most popular vaping devices among middle school and high school youth. Both cases remain pending.
Most e-cigarettes provide nicotine levels far exceeding that of conventional cigarettes. Further, federal health authorities, such as the U.S. Surgeon General and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), say fruit, cola, and dessert-flavored e-cigarettes tempt kids to vape high levels of nicotine. Cartoon character packaging on e-cigarettes and devices that look like toys or include mini-games target youth and have contributed to the epidemic of nicotine addiction among young students.
The FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data from the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS) showing that about one in 10 U.S. middle and high school students — or more than 2.5 million youth — had used e-cigarettes in a 30-day sample period. Specifically, 14.1 percent (2.14 million) of high school students and 3.3 percent (380,000) of middle school students reported current e-cigarette use. The 2023 NYTS showed e-cigarettes remained the most commonly used tobacco product among both high school and middle school students for the 10th year in a row. Flavored e-cigarettes continue to be the most popular products according to the survey. The dangers of e-cigarettes to youth led the FDA, in 2009, to ban flavored vape products.
In addition to taking legal action, the Adams administration has been laser focused on enforcement against illegal operators that threaten communities and children. Since launching in May 2024, “Operation Padlock to Protect” has systematically conducted joint operations — which include inspections and follow-up inspections — in neighborhoods across the five boroughs. When illegal stores are ordered to be sealed, officers from local New York City Police Department precincts monitor those locations to ensure compliance and alert the Sheriff’s Office when violations of the seal order occur.
Record-high closures of illegal smoke shops have won widespread praise by New Yorkers who have applauded the Adams administration for taking decisive action on this public-safety and quality-of-life nuisance. Operation Padlock to Protect is another example of the Adams administration’s efforts to double down on its commitment to swiftly shut down illegal operators, protect the city’s children, improve quality of life, and facilitate a safe and thriving legal cannabis market.
The Adams administration is also working to re-open shuttered storefronts as legal businesses. New York City is legally allowed to padlock storefronts for up to one year of starting a closure due to the sale of illegal product; as the city reaches the one-year mark of Operation Padlock to Protect, the New York City Sheriff’s Office will be working with landlords to unseal their properties and allow them to re-open with a new, legal business in their place. The city is notifying property owners of their next steps and urging them to contact the New York City Sheriff’s Office at (718) 707-2100 or email SmokeShopRelease@nyc.gov to schedule an appointment. The New York City Department of Finance will be mailing letters to the building owners and businesses with a secure code to present to the New York City Sheriff’s Office with detailed instructions.
May 23, 2025
New York Independent News
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