Flavored Vape Ban in Michigan Starts Today

It is official, the ban on flavored tobacco vaping products starts today.

To get a little background on this, the reason for the ban by Governor Gretchen Whitmer stems from findings by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The department found that youth vaping numbers constituted a public health emergency. The U.S. Surgeon General and U.S. Food and Drug Administration also showed an increase in youth vaping.

Under the ban, retailers can no longer sell flavors other than tobacco flavors. The ban also prohibits the sale of menthol flavors. According to the emergency rules, retailers selling flavored e-cigarettes could pick up a misdemeanor to possible include a $200 fine, six months in jail, or both. The new rules also have restrictions on certain imagery promoting the products and also prohibits the advertisement of them on billboards.

Currently, there are no rules to stop you from buying these products in other states. However, President Trump has proposed a national ban on the products as well.

As for now, this is a six-month emergency rule that could be extended for another six months after that. The Whitmer administration still has a few hoops and lawsuits to deal with before they can make it a permanent ban.

Source: MLive