Following a nationwide outbreak of people getting mysteriously sick from vaping, Michigan becomes the first state in the country to ban flavored e-cigarettes. The new rule goes into effect immediately once it is approved and businesses will have 30 days to comply.
The state of Michigan is banning the retail and online sales of flavored e-cigarettes. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer says the new policy is aimed at protecting youth from the possible health hazards of vaping. The Michigan Governor signed an executive order to ban the potentially dangerous flavored nicotine vaping products.
“As governor, my number one priority is keeping our kids safe,” Whitmer said in a statement. “And right now, companies selling vaping products are using candy flavors to hook children on nicotine and misleading claims to promote the belief that these products are safe. That ends today. Our kids deserve leaders who are going to fight to protect them. These bold steps will finally put an end to these irresponsible and deceptive practices and protect Michiganders’ public health.”
It is expected to take a few weeks for the ban to be filed and approved. Once authorized, the vaping ban becomes a law and goes into effect immediately and will last for six months. The ban will be imposed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and does not apply to tobacco-flavored e-cigarettes.
#BREAKING: Michigan becomes the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes for minors starting today, @SymaChowdhry reports. https://t.co/XkJcjZds9T pic.twitter.com/vLcQVSrt9t
— WXYZ Detroit (@wxyzdetroit) September 4, 2019
Last week, there were a reported six people in Michigan with strange lung infections linked to vaping. This is a medical problem around the country. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has found that as of August 27, there were 215 possible cases from 25 states of mysterious pulmonary illness that may be tied to vaping. The CDC stated that the victims were suffering from “severe unexplained respiratory systems after reported vaping or e-cigarette use.”
“In many cases, patients reported a gradual start of symptoms, including breathing difficulty, shortness of breath, and/or chest pain before hospitalization,” the CDC said in an advisory.
“Some cases reported mild to moderate gastrointestinal illness including vomiting and diarrhea, or other symptoms such as fevers or fatigue,” the CDC continued. “In many cases, patients have also acknowledged recent use of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing e-cigarette products while speaking to healthcare personnel or in follow-up interviews by health department staff.”
Some of the people struggling with the sickness vaped tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) through marijuana oils, extracts or concentrates. The CDC did not specify if the vaping devices or the ingredients inhaled were the cause of the illnesses.
“States are completing their own investigations and verifications of cases based on CDC’s recently released standardized case definition,” the CDC said.
Two weeks ago, a man from Illinois died from the bewildering illness, becoming the first American death linked to vaping.
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[Freep]