Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the ban, which will come into effect immediately.

Michigan just became the first state to ban flavored E-cigarettes. E-cigarettes have long been the target of lawmakers and regulators as evidence of the harm they can cause has been mounting over the last few years. Further evidence suggests that many flavors tend to attract minors towards the products. Adolescent and teen E-cigarette use in the state of Michigan has been going up, as has vaping. The situation in the country is so bad that last year the US Surgeon General declared an “epidemic”.

The ban on all flavors of E-cigarettes will take place at all points of sale in Michigan and is effective immediately. Business owners in the state will be given 30 days to comply with the new regulations. The ban will stay in effect for six months, but it can be extended. During the temporary ban, lawmakers plan on working to put more definitive and permanent regulations in place. On top of these efforts by Michigan lawmakers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) prohibits the sale of most flavored products in venues where people under 18 are able to shop. However, this decision by the FTC worried many experts, who believe that regulations should go further.

One study published in 2018 revealed that chemicals in E-cigarettes react with other chemicals in the E-cigarette’s liquid to create a new compounds which can irritate the lungs. There have been a couple of public health scares over E-cigarette use as well, including reports of seizures and at least one death. The FTC, among several other federal trade and public health regulators, are still investigating the damage caused by E-cigarettes and how they should be regulated.