Cuomo announces ban of flavored e-cigarettes

Amid growing concerns over the spread of vaping-related respiratory illnesses and possible deaths, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo moved to ban the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, citing flavors like cotton candy and bubble gum as targeting young people. The announced emergency action follows similar efforts in Michigan, which banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes earlier this month, and President Trump’s statement last week that he intended to do the same on a national level.

Schools in New York have been taking different approaches to curb student use of e-cigarettes, with some taking a more “lax” approach than others, the New York Post writes. Staten Island’s Monsignor Farrell High School has installed vape-detecting sensors in bathrooms – a move other schools on Long Island and across the country have made, the Post reports. Additionally, Monsignor Farrell is installing facial-recognition cameras on the outer doors of bathrooms and adding magnetic locks accessible by students’ ID cards to track how long students are inside. The system, according to school president Lou Tobacco, cost less than $15,000. 

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker, meanwhile, will convene the state’s Public Health and Health Planning Council and issue a regulation banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes. The new rules could go into effect as early as next month, a Cuomo advisor said.