Why Did Breeze Vape Get Discontinued?

Not all the time do you get to hear that a vape brand completely discontinues its services in the US. But what do you expect amidst the whole FDA PMTA brouhaha? With the flooding of stringent rules and regulations on vapes and vaping (as an act), we may possibly see more closures from retail vape stores and vape device manufacturers in general. Today it’s Breeze Vape—what actually happened?

The abrupt discontinuation of the  Breeze  vape line has left many vapers with a butt-load of questions, especially vapers who particularly love the Breeze Pro vape flavors. Well, the reason for this discontinuation isn’t really far-fetched, considering the market dynamics shift under regulatory pressure. However, here, we will look deeply into the actual cause of this Breeze vape closure and how the FDA played a role in it. 

Who is Breeze Vape?

To start with, let’s understand who the company is. Breeze is a vape device manufacturing brand with two known products: Breeze Pro, Breeze Prime, and Breeze Plus—three of which are disposable vapes and are considered to be in the “Premium Vape” labeling. These Breeze vapes deliver incredible flavor taste and feature solid hardware—all without sacrificing aesthetics.

Breeze vapes became very popular due to their miniature appearance, sleek build, solid build, and enticing flavor variety; there are also zero-nicotine variants of Breeze vapes. Well, the vapes still exist, just not approved to be sold in the United States legally—Breeze Pro and Breeze Plus are still sold in other countries where sales of vape products are allowed, and that includes Canada.

So, Breeze is really a good brand offering some of the best disposables out there in the market. 

However, the FDA deemed their operations to be non-compliant in the US and issued them warning letters, which would force the brand out of the US market, consequently, if they fail to meet the Supreme Court requirements.

What Really Happened with Breeze Vapes?

Breeze Smoke, LLC, importer and distributor of Breeze disposable devices, has been involved in regulatory actions since mid-2023 for their operations in the US vape market. On May 25, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to the firms responsible for Breeze products, identifying them as unauthorized tobacco products lacking required Premarket Tobacco Product Applications (PMTAs) under Section 910 of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Following multiple compliance deadlines and failed applications, Breeze Smoke’s product line was effectively barred from the U.S. market. As of September 12,  2024, the FDA reiterated that Breeze devices lack marketing authorization, classifying them as adulterated under Section 902(6)(A) of the FD&C Act. 

Eventually, Breeze Smoke ceased U.S. distribution altogether, following the FDA’s verdict, shifting sales to other markets overseas, but the brand’s products are not discontinued in the US at the moment.

Are Breeze Vapes FDA Approved?

Understandably, Breeze has been operating in the US for over a decade, one would naturally assume that if there are brands to receive FDA-approval when the whole vape-ban saga started, that Breeze should be among the first brands to be whitelisted, but well, it wasn’t so. Regardless of the prior market presence, Breeze disposables never received FDA marketing authorization.

Under the 2016 Deeming Rule, all new tobacco products — including flavored disposables introduced after February 15, 2007 — require PMTA approval before commercial distribution. Breeze Smoke, LLC’s PMTA was rejected, and subsequent litigation (Breeze Smoke, LLC v. FDA, 6th Circuit, Nov. 12, 2021) failed to overturn the FDA’s denial. 

Therefore, Breeze devices remain unauthorized (even though some stores might still have them in stock).

Which Vapes Are Discontinued?

Breeze is among several disposable vape brands discontinued due to regulatory enforcement. The vape brand products banned include:

· Breeze Pro and Breeze Plus: Phased out in 2024 following FDA letters and marketing denial orders (MDOs).

· Esco Bars: Simultaneously cited with Breeze, now withdrawn pending authorization.

· Numerous Flavored Disposables: Over 323 manufacturers’ flavored products have received MDOs, totaling nearly 1.2 million SKUs denied since September 2021. But many of them are still legally sold in US stores, pending final verdicts.

What Chemicals Are in a Breeze Vape?

What else if not the typical ingredients you will find in every other disposable vape—probably just a little tweak here and there for a unique flavor taste. The chemicals, which are basically the ingredients used in the e-liquid formula, include:

· Propylene Glycol (PG): The vapor carrier with low viscosity to deliver throat hit and flavor; this chemical is recognized as safe but can cause respiratory irritation for sensitive users.

· Vegetable Glycerin (VG): A high-viscosity agent for the production of dense vapor clouds; also, this is generally safe but may harbor impurities if sourced poorly.

· Nicotine: An alkaloid providing addictive properties; Breeze vapes typically contain only 5% of nicotine (50mg/mL).

· Food-Grade Flavorings: Now, this is where it varies. These are proprietary blends, often containing acetyl propionyl or ethyl maltol, compounds associated with a few respiratory risks when inhaled.

· Other Additives: Trace acids and preservatives to stabilize pH and prevent microbial growth.

Impact on Consumers and Retailers

Of course, the discontinuation of Breeze has practical implications for both retailers and consumers of the brand. Being an old vape brand, Breeze has a cult following and shit-ton of vape stores across US States had them in their shelves. Now, with this discontinuation, the retailers have ported to other brands, while the consumers are forced to start liking vapes from other brands that are still allowed to sell legally in the US.

Already, the impact of Breeze discontinuation has been absorbed—it’s been a couple of months since they left the US market, and many of their loyal customers have already come to terms with the move and have moved on—porting to alternative brands like Geek Bar, SMOK, JUUL, RAZ, Lost Mary, and others who are still operating in the US.

Regulatory Landscape and Enforcement Trends

Recently, the regulatory pressure on flavored disposables has intensified. The FDA continues to issue warning letters and MDOs to a plethora of other brands that sell disposables and other vape types across the US. In the same vein, several jurisdictions have enacted flavor bans or high-nicotine caps, compounding federal measures. But then, as seen in the Breeze Smoke, LLC v. FDA litigation, judicial remedies for MDOs are limited, reinforcing the primacy of robust PMTA submissions.

What are the Alternatives – What’s the Next Move?

With Breeze’s exit, the market is adapting:

· Many vape manufacturers are exploring reusable pod devices as single-use disposables keep coming under heavy attack.

· There has been an outburst of lower-nicotine vapes and even zero-nicotine vapes (also called wellness vapes or vitamin vapes).

· Vape brands are now investing in third-party testing and transparent ingredient disclosures to rebuild consumer trust and regulatory acceptance.

Some alternatives Breeze customers have ported to include:

· Lost Mary: The Lost Mary brand offers a butt-load of vape devices, from disposables to pod systems, with puff capacity ranging from 2,000 to over 25,000 puffs. Lost Mary vapes are equally affordable, built to last, appear sleek, and offer a ton of flavor varieties.

· Fifty Bar: The American brand, Fifty Bar, is one of the top premium vape manufacturers across the country at the moment, with super impressive product lines. Fifty Bar vapes are superior, have long-lasting batteries, and offer incredible consistency in flavor and taste.

· RAZ: A top-of-the-class vape brand offering some of the hardest products in the market for veteran vapers. RAZ vapes are tough and built for vapers at all levels; of course, they are majorly MTL devices available as disposables.

Also, there are other worthy brands to check out their products, including MOTI, SMOK, VooPoo, and AirFuze. These brands’ vapes are all available at discounted prices, up to 20% off, on VapingLand, and further discounts apply when you buy in bulk or patronize the bundle deals.

Pro Tip: If you’re a big fan of disposables, now is the best time to bulk-buy your favorites and have them stored properly in your home. Disposables can stay up to 12 months without expiring. The regulations are tightening up, and more disposables—probably including the ones you love—may soon be barred. So, this can be your egde!

Conclusion

The discontinuation of Breeze vapes isn’t rocket science; the FDA has been on this for a long time, and it’s not stopping with Breeze—more vape brands will meet the same fate, and eventually exit the US market. For vapers, this is not the time to panic, actually, but a time to bank on the many discount and clearance sales offered by vape stores across the country to bulk up on your favorites before they get either banned or your state restricts how they can be used.