Michigan may be the first U.S. state to ban flavoured e-cigarettes, but a non-profit group advocating for "sensible regulation of vaping products" is saying hold up a second.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Witmer has ordered the state's Department of Health and Human Services to enact the ban after her government banned the sale of e-cigarettes to minors back in June.
The ban takes effect immediately and will give retailers 30 days to get rid of their remaining stock.
President of the American Vaping Association Gregory Conley called the ban a shameless attempt at prohibition.
"This shameless attempt at backdoor prohibition will close down several hundred Michigan small businesses and could send tens of thousands of ex-smokers back to deadly combustible cigarettes," he claimed. "These businesses and their customers will not go down without a fight."
Conley's group is threatening to fight the ban through the courts, saying "laws are created by legislators, not governors."
It points to a failed attempt to ban flavoured vaping products in New York State. The New York State Department of Health tried to ban it without the approval of the state's legislators.
"It looks like it will be up to the courts and state legislators to take corrective action," said Conley.
Concern about vaping has peaked in recent months after 200 lung infections were reported across the U.S. and one death last month in Illinois. Six illnesses are reported in Michigan.
Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration published a report showing a spike in vaping among high school students.
Concerns have increased in Ontario too.
Officials at Chatham-Kent Public Health raised the alarm following the publication of the FDA report. Jeff Moco, a youth engagement coordinator with the agency, suggested advertising may be behind much of the increase in Ontario.
"If you've gone to a gas station recently, you'll see ads on the pumps, giant display ads in stores, and it's not telling people to quit or not use these," he told BlackburnNews.com at the time. "Several stores are covering up their plain tobacco areas with lifestyle vape advertising which goes against the spirit of why these were covered up in the first place."
Ontario has banned the sale of vaping products to minors.