Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker ordered a four-month ban on the sale of all vaping products and e-cigarettes in the state on Tuesday.
The announcement comes as hundreds of people across the country — including 61 people in Massachusetts — have been sickened by a mysterious lung disease that researchers suspect is linked to vaping.
The ban will take effect immediately and will last through Jan. 25, 2020.
"One of the experts said that, 'We don't have time to wait. People are getting sick and the time to act is now.' I couldn't agree more," Baker said, according to the Boston Globe.
The ban includes all vaping products and devices — including both marijuana and tobacco products.
It's a stronger measure than that taken by Michigan and New York, which have chosen only to ban flavored vape pods. The Trump administration is also said to be considering a ban on flavored vapes.
According to the CDC, there have been more than 530 cases of the disease in 38 states around the country. Reports indicate that nine people have died since the outbreak began earlier this year.
While most of the illness have been linked to people vaping marijuana products, the CDC notes that some patients who have been sickened were using nicotine.
Baker's announcement came hours before the CEO of Juul Labs — one of the largest producers of vaping products — announced he was stepping down.
Alex Hider is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @alexhider.
