It’s no secret that vaping has steadily skyrocketed in popularity over the last few years, especially in pre-teens and teenagers. Now in an effort to stop the spread of vaping among the youth, the state of Michigan has become the first in the country to ban flavored e-cigarettes.
As FOX 5 Atlanta reports (@fox5atlanta,) Michigan is coming down hard on the use of flavored e-cigarettes and vaping as a whole, courtesy of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, who placed an official ban on them earlier this week. The decision came after Whitmer’s chief medical officer determined that youthful vaping is a public health emergency in Michigan, leading the governor to issue emergency rules to eliminate this product from getting into the hands of unsuspecting young kids.
Whitmer offered a detailed response when asked about her decision on the ban:
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“One of my biggest, most important jobs of being governor is protecting the kids of Michigan. I’m living with two teenagers. I know a lot of their friends are vaping. We see it every day. We see this constantly bombarding kids with this as a healthy option, getting kids hooked on nicotine before their brains are fully formed, and now we’re seeing kids showing up with respiratory problems. So we know this is a national health crisis.”
She continued, adding:
“Bubble gum, fruit loops. These are flavors that are geared towards kids. They say their parents will never know because they plug in like a USB. This is deceptive; this is destructive and most importantly it’s compromising our kids’ health.”
The detailed breakdown of the e-cigarettes ban includes the following:
“Ban the online and retail sale of sweet, fruity, mint and menthol flavors of vaping products; ban misleading marketing, including placing it next to candy on the shelves, and the use of terms like “clean,” “safe,” and “healthy”; and direct the Michigan Department of Transportation to ban billboard ads with vaping products.”
Although the American Vaping Association stands by its claims that vaping is “a healthy alternative to tobacco products,” Gov. Whitmer doesn’t buy it—and she is standing firm on her decision.
It’s not clear when the governor’s ban will go into effect, but it’s currently temporary, as she must ask Michigan state lawmakers to make it permanent.
Roommates, what are your thoughts on this?
