The New York flavour ban proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo is now in effect after state officials voted to carry out the executive action
Vapers will only be able to buy tobacco and menthol flavours. However, officials will consider extending the ban to include menthol, health commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said.
The emergency legislation will last for 90 days and could be renewed.
New York is the second state to ban flavours after Michigan adopted the policy earlier this month.
Zucker said that ‘urgent action’ was required to address the so-called youth vaping epidemic.
Use of tobacco products by high school students rose by 160 percent between 2014 and 2018, according to data presented by the health commissioner.
Zucker said:
“Flavouring is a key youth marketing strategy”
E-cigarettes still taking the blame for THC illnesses
Zucker also cited the 74 cases of serious lung illnesses in the state that had been linked to vaping.
However, he did not clarify that the majority of America’s so-called vaping-related lung illnesses had been attributed to black-market THC products.
This point was addressed by Michael Frennier, president of the New York State Vapour Association, who told Reuters:
“It’s kind of like having a mayonnaise outbreak of E.coli and the politicians come forth and they say ‘We’re going to fix this to protect the people of our state and we’re going to ban peanut butter tomorrow morning’”
The vote followed hours of testimony from vape shop owners, who explained that their customers relied on flavours to keep from smoking.
Lisa Talarico-Jaskula, who owns Exotic Vapors in Wheatfield, said that vaping flavoured e-liquid had helped ease her COPD symptoms.
She said:
“Never would I have stopped smoking without them”
The New York flavour ban goes into effect immediately. However, retailers have until October 4 to clear their shelves of flavours.
Retails who violate the ban will face penalties of up to $2,000 per violation. The code defines a violation as a single unit of flavoured e-liquid found, sold, offered for sale or manufactured on site.
Header image by Shirish Suwal on Unsplash
