Attorney General Anne Lopez is issuing letters to over 800 Hawaii tobacco retailers and distributors that may be distributing and selling illegal tobacco products.

The products include electronic smoking devices (vapes and e-cigarettes), and oral tobacco pouch products, according to media reports.

“These illegal products may contain dangerous ingredients not listed on the packaging. E-cigarettes typically contain lithium-ion batteries that have been linked to burns and explosion-related injuries,” said Rich Stacey, a deputy attorney general with the Department’s Criminal Justice Division Tobacco Enforcement Unit.

Flavored disposable e-cigarette products commonly found in the marketplace are largely manufactured and imported illegally into the United States from China, the attorney general said.

The companies that manufacture and distribute these products declined to participate in the FDA-mandated marketing order process, and these products are considered adulterated and unlawful for sale, officials said.

Retailers and distributors found to be knowingly selling these illegal tobacco products could be subject to federal investigations and penalties, according to officials.