Attorney General Hector Balderas

ALBUQUERQUE –Today, Attorney General Hector Balderas issued the following statement and risk advisory to all New Mexicans in response to increased reporting about the rise of deaths and health risks related to e-cigarettes and the practice of vaping, and the federal Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) announcement that it will begin working with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to investigate criminal activity related to the marketing and sale of e-cigarettes. 

“I am warning all New Mexicans of the health and safety risks associated with the use of e-cigarettes of any kind,” Balderas said. “My office will hold any bad actor civilly and criminally accountable that risks the lives of New Mexican children by falsely marketing these devices as safe.”

Currently, the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General is investigating e-cigarette companies for unlawful marketing of e-cigarettes to minors, and the Office will investigate and prosecute any allegation of death caused by an e-cigarette.

In light of the New Mexico Department of Health, the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s announced investigations into health risks stemming from the use of e-cigarettes for both nicotine and THC consumption, Attorney General Balderas warns New Mexicans of their danger and recommends the following:

• First and foremost, anyone who has reason to believe that they are suffering from any physical ailment from the use of an e-cigarette should immediately seek medical assistance;
• New Mexicans should avoid all vaping products until health officials have fully investigated and determined the cause(s) of the unexplained illnesses occurring nationwide by those using e-cigarettes; and
• Any New Mexican who believes someone they know, particularly a child, has been injured or died because of the use of an e-cigarette should immediately contact the Office of the Attorney General at 1.844.255.9210 or by filing a complaint at www.nmag.gov.