Michigan Just Became the First State to Ban Flavored E-Cigarettes in an Effort to Keep Kids ‘Safe’

Michigan this week became the first U.S. state to ban the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products, which critics say are largely to blame for an epidemic of youth e-cigarette use. “As governor, my number one priority is keeping our kids safe,” Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement Wednesday. “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.” Research does show that flavored e-cigarettes are more appealing to kids than adults, which has made them the target of many regulatory efforts to stop teen vaping—a habit that about a fifth of U.S. high school students reported last year. In March, the Food and Drug Administration proposed a ban on selling flavored products (except for tobacco, mint and menthol) in non-age-restricted retail stores, making official a voluntary decision made by market-leading e-cig maker Juul the previous fall. Whitmer’s ban comes a few months after San Francisco—where Juul is based—became the first major U.S. city to pass an outright ban on e-cigarettes, flavored or otherwise. (The measure is up for public vote in November.) The ban drew criticism from both the vapor industry and some public-health experts, who felt it could prompt some e-cigarette users to switch back to cigarettes and other tobacco products that remain available. Michigan’s po...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized public health Source Type: news