Michigan to become first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes

Michigan will become the first state in the country to ban flavored e-cigarettes, according to the

The move is expected to be announced on Wednesday and will go into effect immediately.

In an interview, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said the state health department found youth vaping created a public health emergency.

According to a press release by Whitmer, in 2018, more than 3.6 million U.S. kids, including 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students regularly used vaping products.

The governor said e-cigarette companies are only using sweet flavors to hook young people on nicotine, with potentially long-term harmful consequences.

Governor Whitmer signed a bill back in June making it illegal to sell e-cigarettes to minors and ban misleading marketing of vaping products, including terms like “clean,” “safe,” and “healthy” that imply these products are harmless. .

The ban will last for six months.

Businesses will have 30 days to comply with the ban, Whitmer said.

The ban can be renewed for another six months.

During the temporary ban, state officials will develop permanent regulations banning flavored e-cigarettes.

The state health department announced last week it's investigating six cases of e-cigarettes or vaping-associated respiratory illnesses. All six cases were diagnosed within the past two months.

The health department hasn’t identified a specific brand or device related to these illnesses.

A protest is taking place at 6:30 at the capital building in response to the ban.