Concerned about the use of e cigarettes and lung health among the city’s youth, the New York City Council passed a ban on flavored vaping products on Nov. 26.

The city ordinance bans all flavored e cigarettes and liquid vaping flavors except for tobacco. According to CNBC, Mayor Bill de Blasio’s deputy press secretary said the mayor will either sign the bill or just let it become a law.

The ban started out in the New York City Council’s Health Committee, where it unanimously passed. Thirty-one out of 51 members even signed on to co-sponsor the bill, which ultimately passed 42 to 2 with the full City Council.

New York City is the latest and the largest U.S. city to ban sweet and minty vaping flavors. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tried to temporarily ban flavored vaping products throughout the state, but the legislation has been tied up in court, in large part because of a lawsuit filed by the Vapor Technology Association.

The New York City Council’s legislation was introduced by Councilmember Mark Levine, who chairs the City Council Health Committee.

“New York City is finally addressing a public health crisis which has been mounting for years while state and local governments across the nation did next to nothing. We are finally taking action to address the resurgence of youth nicotine addiction caused by e-cigarette usage. With this vote, the City Council is moving to ban the fruity, minty, candy-like flavors of e-cigarettes which were clearly designed to appeal to young people in the first place,” Levine said in a released statement.

Growing Concerns Regarding E Cigarettes and Lung Health

Communities started noting incidents of a new and potentially fatal lung disease over the summer. As of Nov. 20, 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has received 2,290 reports of the e cigarette, or vaping product use associated lung injury, now referred to as EVALI. Forty-seven deaths have been confirmed, two of which have been in New York.

Of 1,906 patients who provided their age, 77 percent of those hospitalized for EVALI thus far have been under 35 years old; 15 percent have been under age 18.

The CDC notes that many of the EVALI patients vaped marijuana that included vitamin E acetate as a thickening agent, but the investigation is ongoing. The full extent of the damage from chemicals used in vaping liquids, some of which are known to be toxic, is not known at this time.

According to the Child Mind Institute, more than 2 million middle school and high school students admitted to using e cigarettes in 2017, many more than those who smoked traditional cigarettes. []

The 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey said that number increased to more than 3.6 million U.S. middle and high school students vaping just a year later.

Many kids choose to use Juul, a hugely popular vaping device that resembles a flash drive and is charged through a USB port. Juul exploded on the vaping market by introducing its sleek design and a variety of minty and fruity flavors that appealed to young people.

E cigarettes contain a higher level of nicotine than found in most traditional combustible cigarettes. Nicotine causes vaping to be very addictive, especially to teens who are more susceptible to addiction than adults because their brains are still developing, according to the Child Mind Institute. E cigarettes and lung health are just part of the problem for children who vape.

Juul announced it will no longer sell flavored products at retail outlets in the U.S. with the exception of its Cool Mint and Classic Menthol.