Governor Baker, in declaring the public health emergency, cited the burgeoning number of cases of lung injury from vaping, adding that the ban will apply to online and retail sale of all kinds of nicotine and marijuana vaping products and devices, and extend through Jan. 25, 2020, reports Mass Live.
When making the announcement at the statehouse press conference, Baker said: “We as a commonwealth need to pause sales in order for our medical experts to collect more information about what is driving these life-threatening vaping-related illnesses.” The ban was approved by the state’s Public Health Council unanimously on Tuesday afternoon.
Local police departments and health boards are authorized to make compliance checks to make sure retailers have removed all vaping products from their shelves. Massachusetts is the first state to implement an emergency ban on all vaping products.
Governor Baker’s office said as of Tuesday, 61 cases of suspected vaping-related illnesses had been reported in the state. This is an increase of 23 cases over the previous week, reports USA Today.
According to the latest update, issued last week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 530 cases of vaping-related lung illnesses in 38 states and one territory have been identified. Six deaths have been confirmed, but that number has now risen to nine deaths.
The CDC’s Principal Deputy Director Dr. Anne Schuchat told members of the U.S. House Oversight Committee Tuesday the number of cases “will be much higher” when an updated report is released Thursday.
Commenting on the increase in cases, Schuchat said consumers should avoid all vaping products until health officials find the cause of the illnesses, according to CNBC,
“At this point, I think caution in all products is recommended. It may not even be the THC or the nicotine. It may be the additives or substances that may be common. It may be the material is not labeled appropriately,” Schuchat said.
