Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker declared a statewide public health emergency on Tuesday and called for a 4-month ban on all vaping products, AP reports.
Why it matters: This is the farthest-reaching ban yet by any state, as it is the only restriction in the country that forbids all vaping products. Massachusetts' ban also goes beyond President Trump's proposal to pull all flavored e-cigarette cartridges from the market, leaving just the tobacco flavor, in an effort to discourage youth vaping.
The big picture: The CDC reported 530 possible cases of severe respiratory illnesses among people who vaped nicotine or cannabis products as of Sept. 19. Nine people have died from vaping-related lung illnesses.
- New York last week banned the sale of most flavored e-cigarettes for 90 days.
- Michigan imposed a similar ban for 6 months earlier in September.
Details: Massachusetts' ban will take effect immediately and will last through Jan. 5, 2020.
- Health officials in the state began mandating the collection of data on electronic cigarettes and vaping earlier this month, AP reports.
- The state has also 3 confirmed and 2 likely cases of pulmonary disease related to vaping. At least 61 cases of respiratory illnesses related have been reported to the state health department and are awaiting further analysis. That's a jump from 38 cases reported as of last week, according to the Boston Globe.
Go deeper: U.S. investigates fatality from vaping as lung-related illnesses rise
Editor's note: This post has been updated to reflect the fact that 9 people have died from vaping-related lung illnesses.
