New York on Tuesday became the second US state after Michigan to ban the marketing of flavored electronic cigarettes, accused of inciting young people to vaping, with a high risk of nicotine addiction. The decision was made during a vote by the New York State Board of Public Health and Health Planning, called at the request of Governor Andrew Cuomo who called for emergency measures on Sunday. It takes effect immediately, although the checks will only start in two weeks. This makes New York the first state to implement the measure, Michigan still awaiting the publication of the applicable texts.
>> Read also: Juul, the e-cigarette with the scent of scandal arrives in Belgium
–
The ban comes just days after Donald Trump announced on September 11 that a similar measure would be taken in the coming months at the federal level. “New York does not wait for the federal government to act“, said Andrew Cuomo, quoted in a statement.”By banning flavored electronic cigarettes“, he continued,”we are taking public health action and helping to prevent countless young people from acquiring a lifelong, costly, unhealthy and potentially fatal addiction.“
According to figures from the New York State Department of Health, nearly 40% of 12th graders vapot. However, electronic cigarettes are prohibited for sale to minors in the United States, the majority being between 18 and 21 years old depending on the state. Apart from the problem of addiction, politicians, at the local as well as national level, have been pushed to act by what is now akin to a health crisis.
More than 380 people have recently developed serious lung problems after vaping and six have died, according to the latest figures from the Center for Disease Control (CDC). On Tuesday, a seventh person died in California. And during this time, on the other side of the world, it was India which decided on Tuesday to ban electronic cigarettes.
–
Testimonials from New York users (English)
–
Translation
Lily Gutnik, electronic cigarette smoker: “It’s surprising to see politicians take so much interest in vaping because cigarettes have been around us for god knows how long and they weren’t as concerned with the tobacco industry but now that there have been a few vaping related deaths now they’re using that for their political careers and it’s sad because they should’ve been talking about all these deaths from the tobacco industry and cigarettes and lung cancer and things like that.” –
Katrina Russell, electronic cigarette smoker: “I think Juul is really addicting because now you have the option to smoke anywhere. You smoke in the bathroom, at home, you wake up, you have the reflex, ‘Oh, let me smoke, since I can “… so it’s addicting in that sense, more than cigarettes, that’s what I think.”
–
