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| Massachusetts Orders 4-Month Ban on Sale of Vaping Products | Massachusetts Orders 4-Month Ban on Sale of Vaping Products |
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| Massachusetts on Tuesday went further than any other state in trying to keep e-cigarettes out of consumers’ hands, with its governor ordering a four-month prohibition on the sale of all vaping products. | Massachusetts on Tuesday went further than any other state in trying to keep e-cigarettes out of consumers’ hands, with its governor ordering a four-month prohibition on the sale of all vaping products. |
| Gov. Charlie Baker said the ban would cover all devices, whether they were flavored or unflavored, used with nicotine or with THC, or purchased online or in stores. | Gov. Charlie Baker said the ban would cover all devices, whether they were flavored or unflavored, used with nicotine or with THC, or purchased online or in stores. |
| “I’m declaring this public health emergency because medical and disease control experts have been tracking a rapidly increasing number of vaping-related illnesses that in some cases have led to death,” Mr. Baker said at a news conference. | “I’m declaring this public health emergency because medical and disease control experts have been tracking a rapidly increasing number of vaping-related illnesses that in some cases have led to death,” Mr. Baker said at a news conference. |
| The ban must be approved by a state public health council, which was holding an emergency meeting on Tuesday afternoon. | |
| At least 530 people in the United States have been sickened with a vaping-related illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and at least nine have died. Mr. Baker said the C.D.C. had confirmed that three cases in Massachusetts were related to vaping. | At least 530 people in the United States have been sickened with a vaping-related illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and at least nine have died. Mr. Baker said the C.D.C. had confirmed that three cases in Massachusetts were related to vaping. |
| The exact cause — or causes — of the sicknesses has not been identified, but they have led to hundreds of hospitalizations, with many of those affected in intensive care units. Health officials have said most patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and others have reported using products containing both THC and nicotine. Some have reported using products containing only nicotine. | The exact cause — or causes — of the sicknesses has not been identified, but they have led to hundreds of hospitalizations, with many of those affected in intensive care units. Health officials have said most patients have reported a history of using e-cigarette products containing THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana, and others have reported using products containing both THC and nicotine. Some have reported using products containing only nicotine. |
| Mr. Baker’s move immediately brought opposition from advocates for vaping products, which have been marketed as safer alternatives to cigarettes. The C.D.C. says cigarettes are responsible for nearly half a million deaths each year in the United States. | |
| Austin Finan, a spokesman for Juul Labs, the most popular e-cigarette company in the United States, said banning the products would push people back to cigarettes and would “create a thriving black market” of fake and unregulated products. | |
| Gregory Conley, the president of the American Vaping Association, said he expected that the ban would quickly be challenged in court. | |
| “If a governor is permitted to just ban e-cigarettes for four months, what else could they ban?” he asked. | |
| The C.D.C. has issued a broad warning recommending that anyone concerned about contracting a lung illness refrain from using vaping products. Users should also avoid products bought on the black market or that have been modified, the center said, adding that teenagers and women who are pregnant should not use vaping products at all. | The C.D.C. has issued a broad warning recommending that anyone concerned about contracting a lung illness refrain from using vaping products. Users should also avoid products bought on the black market or that have been modified, the center said, adding that teenagers and women who are pregnant should not use vaping products at all. |
| At a hearing before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Tuesday, a top C.D.C. official, Dr. Anne Schuchat, said she expected the number of affected people to rise when the agency releases new data on Thursday. | At a hearing before a subcommittee of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on Tuesday, a top C.D.C. official, Dr. Anne Schuchat, said she expected the number of affected people to rise when the agency releases new data on Thursday. |
| “We are seeing more and more cases each day,” she said, adding later that “hundreds” of new cases were expected to be announced this week. | “We are seeing more and more cases each day,” she said, adding later that “hundreds” of new cases were expected to be announced this week. |
| “We don’t know the cause,” said Dr. Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the C.D.C. “No single product, brand, substance or additive has been linked to all cases. It’s very dynamic.” | “We don’t know the cause,” said Dr. Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the C.D.C. “No single product, brand, substance or additive has been linked to all cases. It’s very dynamic.” |
| Nearly three-quarters of those afflicted are male, and two-thirds are between 18 and 34, the C.D.C. has said. Sixteen percent are 18 or younger. Illnesses have been reported in 38 states and one United States territory. | Nearly three-quarters of those afflicted are male, and two-thirds are between 18 and 34, the C.D.C. has said. Sixteen percent are 18 or younger. Illnesses have been reported in 38 states and one United States territory. |