Public Hearing Coming for Proposed Flavor Ban in U.S. State of Rhode Island

In the US state of Rhode Island, public health officials have announced a public hearing on proposed regulations to permanently ban the sale of flavored vaping products in the state.

The state Department of Health said the hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in Providence, according to an article on apnews.com.

The department is considering making the temporary ban currently in effect in Rhode Island permanent.

Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo signed an executive order in September banning the sale of flavored vaping products. In response, the Health Department issued emergency regulations Oct. 4 to implement a four-month ban, with an optional two-month extension, according to the article.

The department has said it’s acting now to permanently ban flavored vaping products because the temporary ban will soon lapse, and it wants to prevent teenagers and adolescents from vaping, given the health concerns.

Raimondo supports a permanent ban, according to the article.

Federal health officials say there have been 55 vaping-related deaths across the country, including one in Rhode Island, and more than 2,500 vaping-related hospitalizations nationwide, the article states.

The state Health Department is accepting public comment until Jan. 26.