New Poll Shows Americans Support Cracking Down On Illegal Chinese Vape Products
A new poll from Fabrizio Ward of battleground Congressional districts shows that Americans broadly support cracking on illegal Chinese-made vapes and smoke shops that sell these dangerous products. The poll from the battleground showed that 80% of voters supported stronger enforcement against illegal vapes made in China, with 65% saying they feel intensely supportive.
“This issue moves Swing voters – those who don’t vote along party lines and decide close elections – and can put the Republican ahead in what is a very tight race to hold the House,” said Tony Fabrizio and Bob Ward in a polling memo. “The message from the survey is clear: keep up the enforcement activity and do more of it.”
Key takeaways from the poll:
Major political impact: A Republican candidate who supports the crackdown gains a 10-point advantage on the ballot in competitive districts, flipping a 1-point deficit into a 9-point lead. Among swing voters, support for enforcement drives a 15-point shift toward Republicans.
Praise Trump administration’s crackdown: Of the voters who are aware of the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal Chinese vapes, support is high — respondents view the actions positively by a 54-point margin and are voting for the Republican candidate by 23 points.
Widespread support for enforcement: 80% of voters back efforts to seize illegal Chinese-made vapes at the border and prosecute the criminal organizations running smuggling and distribution rings. Voters also support taking enforcement action against smoke shops who sell illegal Chinese vapes (63% support) and more intense support for shops who sell illegal Chinese vapes to minors (77% support).
Intense bipartisan approval: Almost 90% of Trump voters and more than 70% of Harris voters support targeted enforcement actions against illegal products and smoke shops that sell to minors.
Legal smoke shops are not the problem: Voters are not against smoke shops in their communities. They are against smoke shops that violate the law, hence the staggeringly high numbers of voters who support more enforcement against shops that sell vapes to minors and sell illegal products.
The Republican-led North Carolina General Assembly has already begun taking action on cracking down on dangerous products from China. In 2024, the Republican-led legislature passed legislation that made it illegal to sell vape products not authorized by the federal Food and Drug Administration; the law went to effect in July this year. Additionally, the Republicans in the legislature took action against tianeptine, nicknamed “gas station heroine,” due to its dangerous impact of users. This session several bills were filed to further crack down on vaping, with a focus on protecting minors.
The new poll from Fabrizo Ward clearly shows that the General Assembly leadership may experience a political win for the good policy of preventing minors from accessing dangerous products.
