Following at least seven cases of vape-related lung illnesses in Washington State, Governor Jay Inslee issued an executive order on September 27 asking the state Board of Health to ban flavored vape products. Two weeks later, at a highly contentious public meeting, the board complied, making Washington the second state in the nation to temporarily ban the sale of flavored vapes. (Oregon, always playing catch-up, soon followed suit.)
The ban on flavored vape products, which went into effect immediately and lasts for at least 120 days, may have the support of politicians and the public-health community, but there is no evidence that it is the flavors in vape products that have caused this rash of mysterious lung illnesses across the United States.
The lung injuries could be caused by other additives—heavy metals, pesticides, or oil-based compounds like vitamin E acetate—none of which are well-regulated in vaping products in this state.
