Gov. Whitmer’s action on vaping is a sound public health move

By Dennis Archambault
The decision by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to ban flavored e-cigarettes was applauded by Loretta V. Bush, Authority Health’s CEO, as a bold step to protecting the health of the public. In a letter to the governor, Mrs. Bush said, “The recent deaths of two people in Illinois and Oregon after using e-cigarettes., or vaping, prompted me, as a public health professional, to express deep concern that our state, and nation, take a more aggressive position in warning consumers that the practice of vaping – and the contents of vaping – can be injurious to the lungs that possibly leads to death.”

Officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have confirmed that more than 200 people have contracted possible severe respiratory illnesses after vaping. In some cases, the condition appears to be an infection but isn’t. In other cases, the condition resembles an inhalation injury, with the lungs apparently reacting to a caustic substance.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun a multi-state study of severe pulmonary disease associated with vaping. Among its recommendations, the CDC advised youth, young adults, and pregnant women should not use e-cigarette products, and adults who aren’t currently using tobacco products shouldn’t start using e-cigarettes.

Dennis Archambault is vice president of Public Affairs at Authority Health.