Rhode Island became the latest state to take legislative action against vaping when Gov.Gina Raimondo signed an executive order Sept. 25 banning the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, according to CBS Boston.
Ms. Raimondo said during a news conference that she signed the order to protect children in the state. She said the marketing for flavored vaping products is targeted at children, claiming that some packaging looks like a cereal box.
The state health director Nicole Alexander-Scott, MD, said the ban could be in effect as early as next week and would be effective for four months with the option to extend it for another two months.
Critics of the ban argue it will hurt businesses and drive people back to tobacco products, according to CBS Boston.
CVS, which is headquartered in Rhode Island, released a statement applauding the ban.
"As the nation's first and only national retail pharmacy chain to have eliminated the sale of cigarettes and other harmful tobacco products from its retail stores, we applaud the governor for her leadership in putting health first for Rhode Islanders," CVS wrote in its statement.