Michigan becomes the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes for minors starting today.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been making a push to get nicotine out of teens hands. She has publicly stated several times the importance of making sure non-traditional nicotine products are not sold to young people.
Back in June, she signed a bill making it illegal to sell e-cigarettes to minors.
She cited a study that showed just last year, 21 percent of American high school students and 5 percent of middle school students — we are talking children as young as 12—reported having used e-cigarettes or other vape products within a 30-day period.
Governor Whitmer stressed flavored e-cigarettes attract the youth with flavor names like Fruit Loops or Fanta.
She called this a “public health crisis.”
Just last week, the state health department said it’s investigating six cases of e-cigarettes or vaping-associated respiratory illnesses . All six cases were diagnosed in the past two months; all were reported in the Lower Pennisula.
The health department is investigating but hasn’t identified a specific brand or device related to these illnesses.
As for the ban, we reached out to the Governor’s office to get more information confirming the Washington Post report.
