Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an emergency executive order aiming to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes in New York. Announcing the action this past weekend, Cuomo accused e-cigarette manufacturers of recklessly and intentionally targeting young people with fruit and candy flavored e-cigarettes in an effort to get them addicted to nicotine. He also indicated that state health officials and police will be increasing enforcement efforts against retailers who illegally sell e-cigarettes to underage buyers.
New York has raised the legal age to buy e-cigarettes and tobacco from 18 to 21, and pursuant to an executive order signed last week, all of the state’s anti-smoking campaigns will soon be required to mention e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine. These efforts coincide with the increased scrutiny and investigation the vaping industry has been subject to following 60 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses in New York and almost 400 such cases nationwide.
Additional Reading
Gov. Cuomo bans flavored e-cigarettes in New York after vaping illnesses, deaths, USA Today, September 15, 2019
Executive Order, State of New York, September 12, 2019
Photo credit: Shutterstock.com / vchal
