Governor Josh Green, M.D.

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

 

JOSH GREEN, M.D.

GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

 

DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

 

ANNE LOPEZ

ATTORNEY GENERAL

LOIO KUHINA

ATTORNEY GENERAL LOPEZ JOINS BIPARTISAN COALITION CALLING ON SHOPIFY TO CRACK DOWN ON E-CIGARETTE SALES

 

News Release 2025-96

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                               

November 25, 2025

HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez joined a bipartisan coalition of 25 attorneys general and the City of New York in sending a letter to Shopify Inc. (Shopify), urging the company to take stronger action against merchants that use its services to sell illegal tobacco products, particularly e-cigarettes.

Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, Shopify describes itself as “a commerce platform that helps you sell online and in person,” and explains that “[e]ntrepreneurs, retailers, and global brands use Shopify to make sales, run stores, and grow their businesses.”

Shopify’s policies already prohibit merchants from using its services for unlawful activities and Shopify has previously terminated e-cigarette sellers that were brought to the company’s attention by the California Attorney General’s Office on April 15, 2025.

However, in the letter, the coalition highlights that a more comprehensive solution is necessary because merchants continue to use Shopify’s services to sell illegal e-cigarettes. Accordingly, the coalition requests a meeting with Shopify to collaborate and exchange ideas on what a comprehensive solution could entail.

 “Illegal e-cigarette sellers continue to use Shopify’s platform to reach consumers, including our keiki. We’re urging Shopify to stop the sale of illegal and harmful products at the source and cooperate with our coalition in protecting the well-being of our communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Chelsea Okamoto.  

In the letter, the coalition: 

• Identifies 29 illegal e-cigarette websites that are currently hosted on Shopify’s platform. This list is not exhaustive.
• Encloses an exhibit identifying over 200 additional websites known to sell illegal tobacco products. This list is not exhaustive.
• Writes that it would undertake some of the effort needed to further identify illegal sellers to Shopify, if Shopify and the coalition entered into a cooperative agreement.

E-cigarettes are highly addictive and pose significant health risks, particularly to youth and are therefore subject to strict regulation. States in the coalition, as well as local governments within the states, have passed laws to mitigate the sale of e-cigarettes. For example, the City and County of Honolulu, the County of Hawai‘i and the County of Maui have passed “trigger ban” bills to end flavored tobacco sales in their communities.

At the federal level, every new tobacco product, such as an e-cigarette, must receive an order from the Food and Drug Administration authorizing its marketing and sale in the United States. To date, the FDA has approved only 39 e-cigarette products, none in any flavor other than tobacco and menthol. E-cigarettes that have not received approval from the FDA, which constitute essentially all e-cigarettes offered by online sellers, are deemed “adulterated.” Federal law prohibits the receipt or delivery in interstate commerce of any adulterated tobacco product, and delivery or proffered delivery of adulterated tobacco products is accordingly unlawful under United States law.

Joining Attorney General Lopez in sending the letter to Shopify, which is co-led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the City of New York, are the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

 A copy of the letter can be found here.

 

# # #

 

Media contacts:

Dave Day
Special Assistant to the Attorney General
Office: 808-586-1284
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

Toni Schwartz
Public Information Officer
Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
Office: 808-586-1252
Cell: 808-379-9249
Email: [email protected]
Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov