LANSING, Mich. — Michigan has become the first state to ban flavored nicotine vape products, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. The moratorium will come under review after six months, according to a report by CNBC.
Whitmer ordered the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to issue emergency rules to ban the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products in retail stores and online after consulting with the state’s chief medical executive, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun.
The ban includes what the governor said was the “misleading marketing of vaping products,” which include terms such as “clean,” “safe” and “healthy.” She has ordered the Michigan Department of Transportation to enforce an existing statute to prohibit the advertising of vapor products on billboards.
“As governor, my No. 1 priority is keeping our kids safe,” Whitmer said. “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.”
While multiple towns, cities and other municipalities have banned flavored vaping products, Michigan is the first state to initiate a ban, Whitmer said. Earlier this year, San Francisco decided to ban the sale of e-cigarettes within its city limits altogether.
“In the past few years, we’ve seen an explosive increase in the number of Michigan kids exposed to vaping products,” said Khaldun, who is also chief deputy director for health for MDHHS. “This is a public health crisis. These products can contain harmful chemicals that put our kids’ health at risk.”
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.