New York (AFP)
Massachusetts officially became Tuesday the first US state to temporarily ban the sale of all electronic cigarettes, going further than Michigan and New York, which had suspended only flavored products.
The ban takes effect immediately and runs until January 25, four months, said Governor Charlie Baker, who declared the state of health emergency.
The governor, quoted in a statement, wanted the suspension "so that we can work with our medical experts to identify what makes people sick and how to better regulate these products to protect the health of our citizens."
For several weeks, the United States has been experiencing a wave of lung diseases contracted by users of electronic cigarettes.
According to the last point of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), some 530 cases, confirmed or probable, were listed, as well as seven deaths.
In Massachusetts, three confirmed cases and two probable ones have been reported, but about fifty other patients are being analyzed.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently investigating suspect samples but has not yet identified which substances could be the cause of these acute lung diseases.
So far, the states of Michigan and New York have been content to ban flavored electronic cigarettes, worried about recent cases of lung disease but also the propensity of these products to make young people addicted to nicotine.
According to a study published in 2017, 20% of high school students in Massachusetts were vaping and 41% have already tried e-cigarettes.
However, the sale of these products was prohibited to those under 18 until the end of 2018, when the age was raised to 21 years.
© 2019 AFP