AUGUSTA, Maine — A state senator in Maine announced plans to introduce a bill to ban the sale of vaping products in the wake of concerns about illnesses and deaths stemming from them.
Democratic Sen. Rebecca Millett, of Cape Elizabeth, feels the U.S. Food and Drug Administration must determine if the vaping products are safe to use, the Portland Press Herald reported. Millett said there isn't enough research on the products to determine how dangerous they are.
She's making the proposal after more than 500 people have been sickened in the country with illnesses stemming from vaping. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced the state's first case of the lung illness a week ago.
At least nine deaths have been blamed on vaping around the country, although the exact cause of the illness has not been determined.
Millett said she plans to submit her vaping legislation later this year, in time for January's legislative session. She was among the sponsors of a successful bill that banned vaping products from school properties in Maine.
Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has declared a public health emergency in his state and announced a four-month moratorium on vaping sales. Other states have also taken steps to curb or restrict vaping.
