New York City Council have voted on Tuesday to adopt a ban on flavoured electronic cigarettes, Associated Press reported.
According to the text of the legislation, the bill would ban the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes and flavored e-liquids in New York City, including mint, menthol, and wintergreen. The bill also calls for conducting outreach regarding the availability of smoking cessation services.
NYC Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio has welcomed the ban and promised to either sign it into law or let it come into force automatically.
American Vaping Association President Gregory Conley, however, has criticised the decision of the city lawmakers, saying it would "shut down small businesses and create a new black market".
Last week, President Donald Trump proposed raising the minimum age for the purchase of e-cigarette products to 21 due to the rise in vaping-related deaths and illnesses. Trump defended his decision to propose an age limit on vaping products rather than an outright ban by saying e-cigarettes would become illegally available if he outlawed them.
As of October, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) had reported 34 deaths and 1,604 cases of lung injuries related to vaping.
Earlier that month, a 17-year-old boy from Chicago got a double lung transplant, reportedly suffering injuries from e-cigarettes.
Yet, the exact causes of the respiratory illnesses are under investigation, as over 8,000 patients have fallen ill after using psychoactive THC-containing liquids, according to a recent study by the agency.