Rhode Island Issues Emergency Rules to Ban Vaping Products

Rhode Island health officials have issued emergency health regulations to ban the sale of flavored vaping products in the state.

The health department regulations, issued Friday, ban the manufacture, distribution and sale of vaping products for four months.

Democratic Governor Gina Raimondo says she wants to ensure companies can’t market these products with colorful packaging and candy-based flavors. She’s concerned about the rapid increase and effects of electronic cigarette use among youth.

Dispensaries selling vaping products to registered medical marijuana patients and licensed cultivators are exempt.

In neighboring Massachusetts, a federal judge upheld the state’s four-month ban on the sale of all vaping products Friday, at least for now. Republican Governor Charlie Baker declared a public health emergency last week because of reported cases of lung illness caused by e-cigarettes.