Michigan first state to ban flavored ecigs

[Qew]

Here are links to the entire Michigan House Oversight Committee Hearing on saving the children from nicotine addiction that happened 9/12. It's long and upsetting to watch.

Part 1: Michigan House TV

Part 2: Michigan House TV

Mister-E CEO Ron Pease spoke, 906 Vapor owner Marc Slis, plus other shop owners that I didn't get their names. The owners of a chain of 20 shops around the state spoke. A couple that owns a shop in Battle Creek that also employs their 4 sons. Reps from think tanks and a man from Chubby Gorilla Packaging.

Towards the end of part 2, time was running out and more shop owners that got a chance got down to pointing the finger at juul and their high nic levels as the real reason teens are attracted. I'm not encouraged anything will change but I'm glad they all got the chance to speak, they ask for some kind of reasonable regulation instead of a ban. If you watch any of it I recommend skipping a lot of the 'experts', they will raise your blood pressure.

 

[barkfunklerbunk]

Now NY has followed suit..

 

[dc99]

Its like knowing the drug dealer but you still just keep arresting the users. Its cause the dealer (BT) keeps paying you off

 

[GreenEyezGirl]

I just received this after I signed the petition to STOP this nonsense...

Dear Concerned Citizen,



Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the ban I have ordered on flavored nicotine vaping products. I truly appreciate hearing from Michiganders from across the state and the opportunity to respond.

On Wednesday, September 11, the Trump administration announced that they were following in Michigan's footsteps to ban flavored e-cigarettes. I'm glad this administration is doing the right thing to protect our kids and our overall public health. This is a bold step that will keep our kids healthy and safe from the harmful effects of vaping. I'm proud that Michigan has been a leader on this issue, and I'm ready to continue working to protect our kids and our public health.

State agencies may develop and implement emergency rules whenever there is an emergency that endangers public health, safety, or welfare. (MCL 24.248.) After Michigan's Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, confirmed that youth vaping constitutes a public health emergency, I ordered the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to issue emergency rules to ban the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products in retail stores and online and ban misleading marketing of vaping products, including the use of terms like "clean," "safe," and "healthy" that perpetuate beliefs that these products are harmless. I have also ordered the Michigan Department of Transportation to enforce an existing statute to prohibit the advertisement of vapor products on billboards. These bold steps will finally put an end to these irresponsible and deceptive practices and protect Michiganders' public health.

We have seen an explosive increase in the number of Michigan kids exposed to vaping products. From 2017 to 2018, e-cigarette use spiked 78% among high school students and 48% among middle school students. These products can contain harmful chemicals that put our kids' health at risk. As governor and a parent, my number one priority is keeping our kids safe. Right now, companies are selling vaping products that use candy flavors to hook children on nicotine and using misleading claims to promote the belief that these products are safe. Nearly 90% of smokers start using nicotine before the age of 18 and 81% of youth e-cigarette users start with a flavored product. This makes the substantial surge of youth using flavored nicotine vape products a preventable public health crisis.

MDHHS will be taking a number of actions to make sure people understand how to comply. There is a website with additional information, which you can find at www.michigan.gov/ecigarettes. Also, the MDHHS tobacco section has created a retailers' packet that includes FAQ's about compliance with the emergency rules. Along with local health departments, they plan to conduct regional meetings with retailers to answer questions about the emergency rules.

In June of this year, I made it known that recent legislation put forth by the legislature did not go far enough to protect Michigan's kids from nicotine addiction. I was clear that the marketing, packaging, and taste of e-cigarettes amounted to a bait-and-switch engineered to create new nicotine addicts. Our kids deserve leaders who are going to fight to protect them, and it's my responsibility to ensure that these dangerous marketing tactics are put to an end.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write. On January 1, 2019, I took an oath to serve the state of Michigan, and I am committed to building bridges from state government to real Michiganders. Please do not hesitate to contact my office at (517) 335-7858, should you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Gretchen Whitmer
Governor of Michigan
(517) 335-7858
Governor of Michigan

 

[gpjoe]

I just received this after I signed the petition to STOP this nonsense...

Dear Concerned Citizen,



Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the ban I have ordered on flavored nicotine vaping products. I truly appreciate hearing from Michiganders from across the state and the opportunity to respond.

On Wednesday, September 11, the Trump administration announced that they were following in Michigan's footsteps to ban flavored e-cigarettes. I'm glad this administration is doing the right thing to protect our kids and our overall public health. This is a bold step that will keep our kids healthy and safe from the harmful effects of vaping. I'm proud that Michigan has been a leader on this issue, and I'm ready to continue working to protect our kids and our public health.

State agencies may develop and implement emergency rules whenever there is an emergency that endangers public health, safety, or welfare. (MCL 24.248.) After Michigan's Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, confirmed that youth vaping constitutes a public health emergency, I ordered the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to issue emergency rules to ban the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products in retail stores and online and ban misleading marketing of vaping products, including the use of terms like "clean," "safe," and "healthy" that perpetuate beliefs that these products are harmless. I have also ordered the Michigan Department of Transportation to enforce an existing statute to prohibit the advertisement of vapor products on billboards. These bold steps will finally put an end to these irresponsible and deceptive practices and protect Michiganders' public health.

We have seen an explosive increase in the number of Michigan kids exposed to vaping products. From 2017 to 2018, e-cigarette use spiked 78% among high school students and 48% among middle school students. These products can contain harmful chemicals that put our kids' health at risk. As governor and a parent, my number one priority is keeping our kids safe. Right now, companies are selling vaping products that use candy flavors to hook children on nicotine and using misleading claims to promote the belief that these products are safe. Nearly 90% of smokers start using nicotine before the age of 18 and 81% of youth e-cigarette users start with a flavored product. This makes the substantial surge of youth using flavored nicotine vape products a preventable public health crisis.

MDHHS will be taking a number of actions to make sure people understand how to comply. There is a website with additional information, which you can find at www.michigan.gov/ecigarettes. Also, the MDHHS tobacco section has created a retailers' packet that includes FAQ's about compliance with the emergency rules. Along with local health departments, they plan to conduct regional meetings with retailers to answer questions about the emergency rules.

In June of this year, I made it known that recent legislation put forth by the legislature did not go far enough to protect Michigan's kids from nicotine addiction. I was clear that the marketing, packaging, and taste of e-cigarettes amounted to a bait-and-switch engineered to create new nicotine addicts. Our kids deserve leaders who are going to fight to protect them, and it's my responsibility to ensure that these dangerous marketing tactics are put to an end.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write. On January 1, 2019, I took an oath to serve the state of Michigan, and I am committed to building bridges from state government to real Michiganders. Please do not hesitate to contact my office at (517) 335-7858, should you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Gretchen Whitmer
Governor of Michigan
(517) 335-7858
Governor of Michigan

Yeah, I got it too and here was my immediate reply to her (though I'm sure it will fall on deaf ears):

Ms Whitmer,

I just received your form letter response regarding my disagreement with your ban on all vaping flavors in the state of Michigan, which unfortunately does not address any of the concerns I expressed in my original letter.

First, I am a life-long Michigan resident who smoked cigarettes for over 45 years. I tried unsuccessfully to quit using various methods, including patches, gum, and lozenges. At the urging of my cardiologist I tried vaping and it worked - I am cigarette free after smoking more than a pack per day - by vaping flavored e-cigarettes. Currently I am vaping vanilla and strawberry custard along with apple-cinnamon. I could not have quit with menthol and tobacco flavors, and would consider returning to smoking rather than use these limited choices (which of course serves the state well in tax revenue generated on tobacco products, and tobacco settlement dollars).

I would never argue that we do not have a vaping epidemic among the youth of our country, including Michigan, but I feel a sweeping ban of all flavors is misguided and does not address the root cause of said epidemic, which is the sale of these vaping products to underage users. By banning all flavors you are ignoring the benefits of harm reduction to former smokers and current smokers who may not quit tobacco, or may return to tobacco products as a result of your ban. A better approach would be the enforcement of age limitations on the sale of these products as we do with tobacco and alcohol.

There is also the issue of black market products, which according to most reliable media sources, are the cause of the recent outbreak of vaping related illness. Many of the reports indicate that the teens were vaping products containing THC and vitamin E as a thickening agent - none of which are present in the commercially available e-cigarettes targeted by your ban. I have been vaping commercial products for over six years with no ill effects and feel better than I have in many years.

I am disappointed that your form letter response did not address any of the points I’ve made here and in my original correspondence, and finally, I didn’t vote for you and likely will not vote for you in any re-election attempt, though I did vote for Trump and I have contacted his office to express my disagreement with his decision as well.

 

[zoiDman]

Now NY has followed suit..

JAHU...

Looks like New York State has Fallen.

New York just banned flavored e-cigs, starting immediately

 

[zoiDman]

From kristin's Head Up thread...

LaFave: Unwise unilateral executive action must be stopped

The [Michigan State] health director admitted to Rep. LaFave in a House Oversight Committee hearing last week that she had no idea 80 percent of adult e-cigarette users use flavored nicotine before they announced the flavor ban.

“The majority of adults who use e-cigarettes vape a flavor other than tobacco,” LaFave said. “This ban is an overreach that will potentially make criminals out of adults who are trying to use a safer alternative to kick the habit of traditional tobacco cigarettes. This will undoubtedly create a black market for these products which could be even more dangerous to public health.”

 

[JustWondering1]

From kristin's Head Up thread...

LaFave: Unwise unilateral executive action must be stopped

The [Michigan State] health director admitted to Rep. LaFave in a House Oversight Committee hearing last week that she had no idea 80 percent of adult e-cigarette users use flavored nicotine before they announced the flavor ban.

“The majority of adults who use e-cigarettes vape a flavor other than tobacco,” LaFave said. “This ban is an overreach that will potentially make criminals out of adults who are trying to use a safer alternative to kick the habit of traditional tobacco cigarettes. This will undoubtedly create a black market for these products which could be even more dangerous to public health.”

This is a very good sign and I hope it works!

 

[AttyPops]

From kristin's Head Up thread...

LaFave: Unwise unilateral executive action must be stopped

The [Michigan State] health director admitted to Rep. LaFave in a House Oversight Committee hearing last week that she had no idea 80 percent of adult e-cigarette users use flavored nicotine before they announced the flavor ban.

“The majority of adults who use e-cigarettes vape a flavor other than tobacco,” LaFave said. “This ban is an overreach that will potentially make criminals out of adults who are trying to use a safer alternative to kick the habit of traditional tobacco cigarettes. This will undoubtedly create a black market for these products which could be even more dangerous to public health.”

Good for him. He's probably going to lose this fight, but good for him. I'm sure the other corporatists will explain "the deal" to him.

(My tin hat is still on)

 

[sofarsogood]

Dear Concerned Citizen,

Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding the ban I have ordered on flavored nicotine vaping products. I truly appreciate hearing from Michiganders from across the state and the opportunity to respond.

On Wednesday, September 11, the Trump administration announced that they were following in Michigan's footsteps to ban flavored e-cigarettes. I'm glad this administration is doing the right thing to protect our kids and our overall public health. This is a bold step that will keep our kids healthy and safe from the harmful effects of vaping. I'm proud that Michigan has been a leader on this issue, and I'm ready to continue working to protect our kids and our public health.

State agencies may develop and implement emergency rules whenever there is an emergency that endangers public health, safety, or welfare. (MCL 24.248.) After Michigan's Chief Medical Executive Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, confirmed that youth vaping constitutes a public health emergency, I ordered the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to issue emergency rules to ban the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products in retail stores and online and ban misleading marketing of vaping products, including the use of terms like "clean," "safe," and "healthy" that perpetuate beliefs that these products are harmless. I have also ordered the Michigan Department of Transportation to enforce an existing statute to prohibit the advertisement of vapor products on billboards. These bold steps will finally put an end to these irresponsible and deceptive practices and protect Michiganders' public health.

We have seen an explosive increase in the number of Michigan kids exposed to vaping products. From 2017 to 2018, e-cigarette use spiked 78% among high school students and 48% among middle school students. These products can contain harmful chemicals that put our kids' health at risk. As governor and a parent, my number one priority is keeping our kids safe. Right now, companies are selling vaping products that use candy flavors to hook children on nicotine and using misleading claims to promote the belief that these products are safe. Nearly 90% of smokers start using nicotine before the age of 18 and 81% of youth e-cigarette users start with a flavored product. This makes the substantial surge of youth using flavored nicotine vape products a preventable public health crisis.

MDHHS will be taking a number of actions to make sure people understand how to comply. There is a website with additional information, which you can find at www.michigan.gov/ecigarettes <MDHHS e-cigarette Information> . Also, the MDHHS tobacco section has created a retailers' packet that includes FAQ's about compliance with the emergency rules. Along with local health departments, they plan to conduct regional meetings with retailers to answer questions about the emergency rules.

In June of this year, I made it known that recent legislation put forth by the legislature did not go far enough to protect Michigan's kids from nicotine addiction. I was clear that the marketing, packaging, and taste of e-cigarettes amounted to a bait-and-switch engineered to create new nicotine addicts. Our kids deserve leaders who are going to fight to protect them, and it's my responsibility to ensure that these dangerous marketing tactics are put to an end.

Again, thank you for taking the time to write. On January 1, 2019, I took an oath to serve the state of Michigan, and I am committed to building bridges from state government to real Michiganders. Please do not hesitate to contact my office at (517) 335-7858, should you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Gretchen Whitmer
Governor of Michigan
(517) 335-7858

On the bright side the message is very long, too long. She's on the defensive. The vape business boomed in sales because we had all that money to spend we used to spend on cigarettes. If we can't vape we have all that time (and money) we used to spend on vaping to make the polliticians miserable.