LANSING — Sen. Dayna Polehanki (D–Livonia) today issued the following statement on Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s announcement banning flavored nicotine vaping products to protect youth from the potentially harmful effects of vaping:

“There is a youth vaping epidemic in Michigan. I applaud the bold actions Gov. Whitmer is taking to ban the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products and misleading marketing, which have contributed to this growing public health crisis among our kids. There is more that must be done to ensure our children are protected from advertising that leads them to believe these products are safe as we hear of additional concerning stories from individuals and medical experts across the country. This is an important move until we know the full impact of e-cigarettes.”

Vaping is a growing trend among teenagers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the use of e-cigarettes has become so pervasive that usage increased nearly 80% among high school students from 2017 to 2018, with one in five students reporting that they are currently vaping.

In June, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Senate Bill 106 into law, as Public Act 18 of 2019, that made it illegal to sell e-cigarettes and other non-traditional products to minors. Sen. Polehanki was a co-sponsor of the bill.

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