New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sept. 15 ordered an emergency executive action to ban all sales of flavored electronic cigarettes in the state, becoming the second state to do so after Michigan.
In a press conference, Cuomo ordered the State Police and Department of Health to ramp up enforcement efforts against retailers who sell e-cigarettes to minors.
"Manufacturers of fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes are intentionally and recklessly targeting young people, and today we're taking action to put an end to it," Cuomo said. "At the same time, unscrupulous stores are knowingly selling vaping products to underage youth — those retailers are now on notice that we are ramping up enforcement and they will be caught and prosecuted."
His statement follows the Sept. 12 signing of an executive order that directs state agencies to deploy education awareness programs on vaping. The initiative also orders the health department and the State Education Department to develop and deploy e-cigarette prevention and cessation measures in their educational programs.
At the press conference, State Police Superintendent Keith Corlett said State Troopers will partner with the Department of Health to make sure that retailers who sell vaping products like e-cigarettes to minors are held accountable.
The issue has become a national concern after President Donald Trump met with acting U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Ned Sharpless and Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar at the White House on Sept. 11 to discuss issues related to vaping.
The Trump administration is considering banning all non-tobacco flavored e-cigarette products from the market following reports of illnesses and deaths related to vaping.
The ban in New York comes as e-cigarette makers face increasing scrutiny from states and regulatory bodies about how they market their products to the youth. Altria Group Inc.-backed Juul Labs Inc., for instance, is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission as well as Illinois and the District of Columbia over its marketing tactics.
The FDA had also earlier accused Juul of marketing its products as less harmful than other tobacco products without securing regulatory approvals.
Juul's home market of San Francisco was the first U.S. city to ban the sale of e-cigarettes.
