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U.S. NEWS Thursday 5 sepTember 2019
Michigan to become 1st state

to ban flavored e-cigarettes

By DAVID EGGERT announced in Illinois last rettes, which have grown
Associated Press month and another in Ore- into a more than $6 billion-
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — gon announced this week. a-year industry, typically
Michigan Gov. Gretchen The Oregon death is the heat a flavored nicotine
Whitmer moved Wednes- first linked by health officials solution into an inhal-
day to make her state the to a product purchased at able aerosol. Juul controls
first to ban flavored elec- a marijuana dispensary. roughly three-quarters of
tronic cigarettes, accusing Whitmer’s move drew the U.S. retail market.
companies of using candy praise from public health It’s unclear what percent-
flavors and deceptive ad- advocates, school groups age of the market may be
vertising to “hook children and Democratic lawmak- affected by the ban, which In this March 18, 2019, file photo, Michigan Gov. Gretchen
Whitmer listens to Democratic presidential candidate Sen.
on nicotine.” ers, but criticism from or- would not apply to tobac- Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in Clawson, Mich.
The Democrat ordered the ganizations that advocate co-flavored products. Con- Associated Press
state health department for vaping and some Re- ley said more than half of Mountain, criticized the can’t make the decision
to issue emergency rules publicans in the GOP-led vaping products are sold governor’s decision, which for themselves.”
that will prohibit the sale Legislature. “This shame- in vape shops, online or came three months after Most experts agree the
of flavored nicotine vap- less attempt at backdoor from other locations that she signed laws barring aerosol is less harmful than
ing products, including to prohibition will close down are largely untracked, un- minors from using e-ciga- cigarette smoke because
adults, and the misleading several hundred Michigan like those purchased at gas rettes. “That’s an infringe- it does not contain most
marketing of e-cigarettes. small businesses and could stations and convenience ment on adults,” he said. of the cancer-causing
Retailers will have 30 days send tens of thousands of stores. He estimated that “This has nothing to do with byproducts of burning to-
to comply with the rules ex-smokers back to deadly nearly every Michigan vap- children. This is only about bacco. But there is virtually
once they’re filed in com- combustible cigarettes,” ing shop, however, would Gov. Whitmer taking her no research on the long-
ing weeks. The rules will said Gregory Conley, presi- lose at least 90% of its sales. liberal beliefs and feeling term effects of the vaping
almost certainly be chal- dent of the American Vap- State Rep. Beau LaFave, that she knows better than chemicals, some of which
lenged in court. ing Association. “These a Republican from Iron everybody else, and they are toxic.q
New York last November businesses and their cus-
began taking steps to bar tomers will not go down
the sale of flavored e-cig- without a fight. We look for-
arettes but withdrew pro- ward to supporting the law-
posed rules to allow more suits that now appear nec-
time for legal review. The essary to protect the right
federal government and of adults to access these
states ban the sale of vap- harm reduction products.”
ing products to minors, yet He said the ban would cre-
government survey figures ate a “massive” black mar-
show that last year, one ket. He blamed the recent
in five U.S. high school stu- spate of illnesses on illegal
dents reported vaping in vape pens that contain
the previous month. Top THC, the compound that
government health offi- gives marijuana its high.
cials, including the surgeon Health experts say nicotine
general, have flagged the is harmful to developing
trend as an epidemic. brains, and some research-
“Right now, companies ers worry addicted teens
selling vaping products are will eventually switch from
using candy flavors to hook vaping to smoking.
children on nicotine and The rise in teen vaping has
misleading claims to pro- been driven mainly by fla-
mote the belief that these vored cartridge-based
products are safe. That products such as Juul. The
ends today,” Whitmer said odorless devices can be
in a written statement, not- used discreetly in bath-
ing that Michigan’s chief rooms, hallways and even
medical executive deter- classrooms. Juul’s execu-
mined that youth vaping tives have disputed al-
constitutes a public health legations that they have
emergency. marketed their products to
As of last week, 215 pos- teens, declaring that they
sible cases of severe pul- have taken unprecedent-
monary disease associated ed steps to combat under-
with the use of e-cigarettes age use of its e-cigarettes.
had been reported by 25 Nearly 80% of underage
states, according to the teenagers who use e-cig-
Centers for Disease Con- arettes and other tobac-
trol and Prevention. Michi- co products cited flavors
gan officials are investigat- when asked why they took
ing six such cases. At least up the habit, according to
two deaths in the U.S. have government research.
been linked to vaping, one Battery-powered e-ciga-