MA Governor Baker Announces 4 Month Ban on Sale of Vape Products

MA Governor Baker Announces 4 Month Ban on Sale of Vape Products

Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced a temporary four-month ban on the sale of all vape products as part of a public health emergency.

The sales ban applies to all vaping products and devices, including tobacco and marijuana.

The ban takes effect immediately and lasts through January 25, 2020.

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“The use of e-cigarettes and marijuana vaping products is exploding and we are seeing reports of serious lung illnesses, particularly in our young people. The purpose of this public health emergency is to temporarily pause all sales of vaping products so that we can work with our medical experts to identify what is making people sick and how to better regulate these products to protect the health of our residents,” said Baker.

The ban follows a series of confirmed and suspected cases of severe lung disease associated with the use of e-cigarettes and marijuana vaping products in Massachusetts.

Ban of Vaping Products in MA

Earlier this month, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) ordered that MA doctors report any unexplained vaping-associated pulmonary disease to the department.

As of Tuesday, 61 cases have been reported to DPH.

Three confirmed cases and two probable cases of vaping-associated pulmonary disease in the state have already been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.)

The rest are pending further clinical analysis.    

“Our priority is protecting the public health. The Governor’s actions today will help prevent more cases of this dangerous lung disease while getting people, especially young people, the help they need to quit,” said Public Health Commissioner Bharel, MD, MPH. 

According to Baker’s administration, future steps could include legislation and regulations. During the ban, the Administration will work with medical experts, state and federal officials to understand vaping illnesses and work on additional steps to address this public health crisis.

CDC Conducting Investigation

The CDC and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are currently investigating a multi-state outbreak of lung disease that has been associated with the use of e-cigarettes or vaping products (devices, liquids, refill pods, and/or cartridges).

To date, the CDC has confirmed 530 cases of lung injury across 38 states.

While many of the patients reported recent use of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)-containing products, some reported using both THC and nicotine products.

No single product has been linked to all cases of lung disease.