Michigan bans flavored e-cigarettes, first state in country

[OilemFirchen]

Source: Dayton Daily News

Starting Wednesday, Michigan will be the first state to ban flavored e-cigarettes.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she hopes the move will protect young people from the side effects that come with vaping, according to The Washington Post.

Whitmer said companies that make the flavors used in vaping create sweet ones like bubble gum and fruity flavors to get kids hooked on nicotine.

...

The ban will impact retail and online sales and will be in effect for six months with the option to renew it for another six-month period.

Read more: https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/national/michigan-bans-flavored-cigarettes-first-state-country/YgvvnQmNOr8tCOTHNO60vO/

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Were this enforceable, a sizeable minority or even majority of "young people" would turn to cigarette smoking. How did that alcohol prohibition thingy work out?

[AtheistCrusader]

1. I wouldn't be surprised to learn tobacco money found it's way into the pockets of

involved politicians.

[redstatebluegirl]

2. It is about damn time.

I saw a kid waiting for the school bus the other day vaping, he had to be all of 13 years old. The tobacco companies are looking for the next generation of users to kill.

[crazytown]

4. Of course 13 yr olds never smoke cigarettes

[LanternWaste]

20. Thankfully, no one (other than yourself) is arguing or implying otherwise.

[OilemFirchen]

5. If you live in Michigan,

the next time you see that kid it's very likely he'll be smoking a cigarette.

About time, indeed.

[The Liberal Lion]

9. Actually tobacco companies will probably benefit from this

The reason being is that the only portion of the vape market that belongs to tobacco companies is the pod and cigalike sector (cigalikes are the vape devices that look like cigarettes). The big devices that some (like myself use) to blow what some consider big, obnoxious bakery or candy smelling clouds are not in anyway part of the tobacco industry. The pod devices and cigalike devices that the tobacco industry participates in are based in tobacco and menthol flavors. While they do offer some other basic flavors their main product is tobacco flavors. So the tobacco industry will be little effected by this law. Now truth be told, those looking to quit smoking by way of vaping will probably be successful with tobacco flavors. But here is the rub, it's other flavors that help people actually reduce their nicotine intake and be able, if they wish, to quit vaping too. As people discover other flavors in vaping they tend to use more powerful devices to vape. As they use more powerful devices their nicotine intake goes down as higher nicotine levels are unvapable in higher power devices. So if you take away flavors you not only increase the likelihood that someone looking to quit smoking by way of vaping chooses a device produced by a tobacco company, but further because of the role flavors have in helping people reduce their nicotine consumption, you leave those people hooked on nicotine at a higher level. They will either not quit vaping or will return back to smoking.
Therefore this law is counterproductive.

[The Liberal Lion]

3. This is done out of ignorance

People never smoked cigarettes because they tasted like candy. However, people, like myself, turned to vaping and easily quit smoking mostly due to flavors. Myself, I had smoked Marlboro reds for over 30 years when I first tried vaping. I quit smoking completely within 2 months of using a vape pen due to the flavor Pina Colada. I enjoyed the flavor and found, once I started vaping in earnest, that cigarettes tasted like crap in comparison. I have been and continue to vape for the past 6 years now. I started at a nicotine level of 2.8% now I vape at .03% nicotine. I now own a vape shop and I produce e-liquid. I got into vape entrepreneurship because it is so effective in a) helping people quit smoking and b) helping people reduce their nicotine intake. This law is stupid and will in fact be counterproductive. It's done out of absolute ignorance.

[virgogal]

6. Good for you...these laws are virtue signaling of the first order.

“It’s for the children” crap. The nanny state drives me nuts.

[jayfish]

13. This Is Outrageous!

I smoked for 25 years and dipped snuff for 28 years. I had tried everything short of hypnosis to quit. Sometimes multiple times. I began to feel the health effects of these two vices take their toll on me. I heard about these "new" electronic cigarettes but dismissed them as a gimmick. Out of desperation to quit I bought a disposable e-cig at the corner gas station. It was good enough so I immediately went to work researching better devices and ordered a reusable kit based on that research. The day I got that kit was the last day I ever took a dip and I cut my cigarette use by about 90%. I was completely smoke free in two months. That was almost 9 years ago. The last time I has a physical I was given a bill of health equivalent to that of a non-smoker. This, as well as the entire anti-vaping hysteria, is a horrendous decision based on optics and emotion and people are going die because of it. Lots of people. I hate single-issue voting but this kind of shit is almost enough to get me to become a single-issue voter. I can barely type this I'm so pissed off right now!

Not to hijack your post Lion but; I invite everyone to post thier stories here.

Michigan Call to Action

[The Liberal Lion]

15. Outstanding reply

The saddest part of this all is back in the last election I knew people who would normally vote democratic vote for republicans ONLY because of vaping and the left's stance on it. Me, I wasn't going to let vaping get in my way of voting for who I thought was the best candidate, but it saddened me to think I was going to have to fight my own party on this issue. I will be posting my stories on the call to action. Thanks for the link.

[jayfish]

18. Part II

I just received a text message from my son. He has friend who works at a brick and mortar vapor shop who was told he could either transfer to another state or lose his job. This is an abomination and sterling example of why people are leary of the Left. What an embarrassment.

[The Liberal Lion]

21. I was just watching/participating in a live stream of a very popular vape reviewer on youtube

While I decided not to comment on the political aspect, I was depressed by the number of people calling this a liberal plot, decrying the left wing nanny state, and having nothing but disparaging words for the left. I couldn't say anything to defend the democratic POV as this is truly indefensible. Honestly from a political perspective this is a catastrophe for the left. The problem is not flavors, the problem is with those who don't follow the law and sale vape gear to underage minors. This is a wrong headed approach on so many levels.

[bucolic_frolic]

7. Reports of lung disease from vaping are on the rise according to reports

They haven't pinpointed the cause, and don't know why it occurs in a small portion of the population and not every vaper. So it's being treated as a public health issue and will be enforced as such by those departments, according to the Governor on Morning Joe today. This is a 6 month ban, with one extension, and hopefully they will know more about the cause of the illnesses as time rolls by.

[The Liberal Lion]

11. I don't have the link

But those cases of lipid pneumonia are associated with THC type vaping and not traditional vaping. But honestly, if this was their concern they would ban vaping altogether, and not just flavors. The tobacco industry benefits from flavor bans.

[OilemFirchen]

14. Yes. That appeared to be an isolated pocket (or pockets).

I think it's fairly clear from the news reports I've read that this was an issue of tainted street product.

[TheRealNorth]

17. The recent rise in acute vaping-related disease

Appears to be related to additives containing THC (often sold illegally and manufactured by drug dealers) and not by companies selling the OTC vaping chemicals.

[keithbvadu2]

8. ...from my cold, dead hands

from my cold, dead hands

[The Liberal Lion]

10. amen

[Behind the Aegis]

12. One word: HEMP n/t

[TheRealNorth]

16. Way to win the under 30 crowd

You can bet the Republicans will be targeting those voters on social media in 2020.

We can't stop millionaires from flooding the airwaves with political ads, but we have no problems stopping teenagers from vaping.

Democracy is on the line and our priorities still seem fucked up.

[RandiFan1290]

19. Flavored alcohol is next!

Just kidding!

[BlueMississippi]

22. I congratulate Michigan

This step is long overdue.

Vaping is creating a more addiction because many people exceed the recommended dosages and get more and more nicotine.

[OilemFirchen]

23. There's a recommended dosage of nicotine?

Huh.

So all of these nicotine addicts about to be deprived of flavored juices will just quit?

[EllieBC]

24. Yeah that's exactly how it works.

Said no one with a brain.

Vaping is harm reduction. My husband will just go back to tobacco cigarettes if vaping gets shuttered. I guess the nanies will be happy because he will at least be paying more tax money.