MICHIGAN — Michigan is now the first state in the country to ban flavored e-cigarettes, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office said. The ban takes effect Wednesday.
The ban is for retail of vaping products that use sweet and fruity flavors as well as mint and menthol ones, according to reports.
The ban does not include tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes though.
“My number one priority is keeping our kids safe and protecting the health of the people of Michigan,” Whitmer told the Washington Post about the decision.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel praised the bold move made today by Whitmer by declaring a public health emergency and putting in place emergency rules that ban flavors in nicotine vaping products to better protect the state’s children from addiction.
“With a more than 1.5 million increase in the number of students using vaping products in just one year, the governor’s emergency actions today are exactly the bold measures we must take to protect Michigan’s children from the dangerous effects of vaping,” said Nessel. “I commend the governor’s decision and pledge my department’s continued and shared commitment to keeping these products out of the hands of our kids.”
The ban covers both retail and online sales. It will last for six months and after those six months it can be renewed for another six months, according to the governor’s office.
Michigan has recently investigated up to six lung illnesses resulting from vaping, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Most of the individuals have been hospitalized for severe respiratory illness, MDHHS officials said, and ranged in age from 19 to 39.
“So far, the Michigan investigation has not identified a specific brand of device or e-liquid that is causing these illnesses,” MDHHS said Aug. 30. “Similar to reports across the nation, there does not appear to be an infectious cause of the illnesses.”