A chemical analysis of 22 vape products for sale in Arkansas shops was conducted by FAST Laboratories in Greenbrier, Arkansas, March 2025.
Of these 22 vapes, 86% contained ethanol or lead. Two of the products contained both ethanol and lead. One of the products, Ripe Esco Bars Peach Mango Pineapple, had lead at a level of 39,300 microgram per gram (mg/g). To note, no level of lead is deemed safe to ingest or inhale.
A major offender was GeekBar. Each of the five GeekBar vapes tested contained ethanol. Geek Bar is an e-cigarette brand established in 2015 that is owned by parent company Shenzhen Geekvape Technology Co., ltd., who also produces RAZ vapes. Geek Bar is produced in partnership with the intellectual property owner Guangdong Qisitech Co., Ltd. Qisitech operates a large manufacturing facility in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
The most popular Geek Bar form factor adheres closely to the frequently emulated ElfBar shape. It has more than 50 "flavors" of vapes.
The most dangerous vape was the Ripe Esco Bar Peach Mango, with a lead level of 39,300. In 2023, the FDA also issued an import alert for Esco Bars products. The import alert places these tobacco products on the red list, which allows FDA to refuse or detain the product at the time of entry and to prevent illegal products from being distributed in the U.S.
China manufactures over 90% of the world’s vaping devices, yet it practically bans them within its own borders. While Chinese authorities enforce tough restrictions at home, their manufacturers continue to flood international markets—especially the U.S.—with high-nicotine, fruit-flavored vapes that fuel youth addiction.
A new wave of disposable e-cigarettes, packed with flavors like Blue Cotton Candy and Pink Lemonade, has hooked teenagers worldwide and outpaced regulators. At the helm of this growing industry is Zhang Shengwei, a little-known tycoon in China’s vape capital, Shenzhen. Over 15 years, Zhang built his company, Heaven Gifts, into a global powerhouse, rivaling industry giants like Juul Labs and British American Tobacco. While other manufacturers navigated shifting regulations, Zhang exploited enforcement gaps, pushing products under brands like Elf Bar, EBDesign, and Lost Mary.
Zhang’s companies claim they do not market to children, but their products remain among the top-selling e-cigarettes in the U.S. and U.K., where youth vaping has surged. In America, they bypassed regulations that restrict new vaping products, capitalizing on the FDA’s slow response and weak enforcement. Meanwhile, in the U.K., Zhang complied with rules requiring lower nicotine levels and government oversight, ensuring continued dominance in the market while still appealing to young users.
China’s authoritarian government has effectively cracked down on its domestic vape industry, using aggressive raids and severe penalties. In March, authorities seized $21 million worth of illegal e-cigarettes and arrested 10 people. Yet, while China shields its population from flavored vapes, its manufacturers aggressively export these same addictive, toxic products abroad—profiting at the expense of American youth.
