Ban of Flavored E-Cigs Effective Immediately, Retailers Have Less than 2 Weeks to Comply
On September 4th, Michigan became the first state to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and on Wednesday, the 18th, Governor Whitmer filed an emergency ruling that makes the ban effective immediately.
Retailers, including online ones, have to comply with the rules by October 2nd. In a statement from the Governor, she says
I’m proud that Michigan has been a national leader in protecting our kids from the harmful effects of vaping. For too long, companies have gotten our kids hooked on nicotine by marketing candy-flavored vaping products as safe. That ends today. This bold action will protect our kids and our overall public health.
The ban does not apply for nicotine e-cigs but instead flavors or aromas relating to food or drink of any kind such as vanilla, mint, honey, candy, etc. Anyone who violates the new law can face 6 months in jail and a $200 fine. The full emergency vaping rules can be found here.
Since Michigan announced the ban, the Trump administration has followed suit after a call from the FDA. The state of New York is also taking similar steps to make flavored e-cigs illegal.
The use of e-cigarettes has spiked exponentially among middle and high school students.
In 2018, more than 3.6 million U.S. kids, including 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students, were regular users.