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U.S. NEWS Monday 16 SepteMber 2019

New York moves to enact

statewide flavored e-cig ban

By DEEPTI HAJELA industry, Juul Labs Inc., said industry has spent a lot of
Associated Press it was reviewing the an- money in states around the
NEW YORK (AP) — New nouncement, but agreed country to lobby against
York Gov. Andrew Cuomo with the need for action. state-level flavored e-cig-
is pushing to enact a state- The ban would not impact arette bans, in states in-
wide ban on the sale of tobacco- and menthol- cluding Hawaii, California,
flavored e-cigarettes amid flavored e-cigarettes, but Maine and Connecticut.
growing health concerns Cuomo said the Depart- Michigan Gov. Gretchen
connected to vaping, es- ment of Health would con- Whitmer earlier this month
pecially among young tinue evaluating and that ordered that state's health
people. could change. department to come out In this Jan. 29, 2019 file photo, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo
The Democrat announced Not including menthol with emergency rules to holds a news conference in the Red Room at the state Capitol
Sunday that the state brought criticism for Cuo- prohibit flavored e-ciga- in Albany, N.Y. Associated Press
health commissioner would mo from some quarters. rette sales.q
be making a recommen- Cuomo "had the oppor-
dation this week to the tunity to take decisive ac-
state Public Health and tion, but instead left men-
Health Planning Coun- thol e-cigarettes on the
cil. The council can issue marketplace," said Harold
emergency regulations Wimmer, president and
that would go into effect as CEO of the American Lung
soon as they are voted on Association, in an email
and start being enforced in statement. "While today's
as soon as two weeks, fol- announcement was well-
lowing a short grace period intentioned, it will drive
for retailers, officials said. our youth to use menthol
In announcing the action, flavored products in even
Cuomo sharply criticized greater numbers."
the flavors that are for sale, Cuomo signed legislation
like bubble gum and cot- earlier this year raising the
ton candy. statewide smoking age to
"These are obviously target- 21, and earlier this month
ed to young people and signed a mandate that re-
highly effective at target- quires state anti-tobacco
ing young people," he said. campaigns to also include
Officials pointed to a sig- vaping.
nificant increase of e-cig- Vaping is also under a fed-
arettes by young people, eral spotlight , as health au-
which they said was driven thorities look into hundreds
by the flavors. of breathing illnesses re-
According to data from the ported in people who have
state health department, used e-cigarettes and oth-
nearly 40% of high school er vaping devices.
seniors and 27% of high In his first public comments
school students overall in on vaping, President Don-
the state use e-cigarettes. ald Trump proposed a simi-
High school use went from lar federal ban last week.
10.5% in 2014 to 27.4% in The FDA has been able to
2018. ban vaping flavors since
Nationwide, the 2019 Na- 2016, but hasn't taken the
tional Youth Tobacco Sur- step, with officials looking
vey showed traditional into whether flavors could
cigarette usage continu- help cigarette smokers to
ing to fall for students in 6th quit.
to 12th grade but vaping The global market is esti-
continuing to surge higher. mated to have a value of
The biggest player in the as much as $11 billion. The