In response to seven reported lung illnesses due to vaping, Gov. Jay Inslee issued an executive order for a statewide ban on all flavored vaping products on Friday, Sept. 27. Because of the targeted appeal of these vaping products for young adults, the executive order requires companies that sell non-THC vapor products to include all of the ingredients and health risks associated with their product.
“We need to warn the public that no federal government or state government or local government has tested these products to give you any assurance that they’re safe,” Inslee said to the News Tribune.
In addition to increasing regulation, the order limits the number of sales at retail stores and reduces access for teenagers.
“I am pleased the State Board of Health agrees we cannot wait to act on this very important public health issue. It comes down to protecting the health of Washingtonians, especially young people. These emergency rules will help protect public health and save lives,” Inslee said in a statement.
During the meeting, however, about 60 people testified against the ban because of the executive order’s impact on small businesses that depend on the sale of vaping products. Those who testified illustrated that youth don’t tend to buy from vape stores but rather from convenience and gas stores.
“Continuing down the road of banning flavors will only cause millions of adult smokers and former smokers to go back to smoking or rely on what will be a new and larger black market,” executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Vapor Technology Association Tony Abboud said to the Seattle Times.
However, the purpose of the ban, according to Inslee, is to primarily stop the increasing numbers of youth from getting addicted to the flavors of these vaping products, not necessarily to ban the sale of vapes.
“We are acting,” Inslee said, “for the public health of Washington residents.”
