LANSING, Mich. — Governor Gretchen Whitmer is appealing a lower court's ruling that blocked a statewide ban on flavored vaping products.
In Friday filings, Whitmer is requesting an emergency leave with the Michigan Court of Appeals to reconsider a judge's ruling on the state health department's emergency rule banning the sale or use of flavored vaping products.
Whitmer is taking the case directly to the Michigan Supreme Court.
"After seeing how the Flint water crisis was mishandled, it’s more important than ever that we listen to our public health officials when they make recommendations to protect our citizens,” said Governor Whitmer.
In September, after her Chief Medical Executive, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, made a finding that youth vaping constitutes a public health emergency, Governor Whitmer ordered the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to issue emergency rules to ban the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products in retail stores and online.
Nationwide, nicotine e-cigarette use jumped 78% last year alone. In 2018, more than 3.6 million U.S. kids, including 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students were regular users. These rates are still climbing.
Several states have already banned the sale of flavored vaping products as a rising number of vaping-related lung illnesses surface. Vaping-related illnesses in the U.S. had reached about 1,300 cases.
The Associated Press contributed to this reporting.
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