Governor Aims to Reduced Electronic Cigarette Use

This week the Governor signed into law a bill (S.301A/A.481A) that will expand the current school-based programs and marketing initiatives aimed at reducing tobacco use, to include electronic cigarette and liquid nicotine use. The bill also expands the mandate of the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Advisory Board to include making recommendations to the commissioner of the Department of Health regarding the prevention of electronic cigarette use among minors.

The Governor also signed Executive Order No. 196 which directs all State agencies, departments and public benefit organizations over which the Governor has executive authority to include vaping and e-cigarette prevention and cessation measures into their educational programs and employee trainings. The order also directs the state Department of Health to work with the State Education Department to immediately develop and deploy such measures for school districts to incorporate into their curriculums.

Both measures come on the heels of a recent press conference where the Governor announced that he had directed the Department of Health to issue subpoenas to companies marketing and selling thickening agents used in black market vaping products and to issue emergency regulations mandating that warning signs must be posted in all vape and smoke shops in New York State. The Governor also said he would advance legislation to ban flavored electronic cigarette products. President Trump also announced that the FDA was in the process of making some “very strong recommendations” including a ban on flavored products.

Governor Cuomo said:

“After raising the smoking age to 21 to protect young people from the costly and deadly addiction to nicotine, we are doubling down on our mission to protect the public health and keep our children safe from the dangers of e-cigarettes – which have unfortunately become common alternatives to regular cigarettes. We are united and determined in our goal to protect an entire generation of New Yorkers from these harmful products and will use every tool at our disposal to accomplish this.”