Missouri governor orders agencies to develop plan to discourage youth vaping

Oct. 15--JEFFERSON CITY -- Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday ordered the state departments of health, education and public safety to come up with a campaign within the next 30 days to educate Missourians on the dangers of youth vaping.

As of Oct. 1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had fielded 1,080 reports of lung injuries associated with e-cigarette use from 48 states.

Eighteen deaths have been linked to vaping in 15 states, including two in Kansas and one in Missouri.

Some states, like New York and Massachusetts, declared vaping a public health emergency in order to temporarily ban the sale of e-cigarettes altogether. Other states have banned the sale of flavored vaping products.

Parson said he's not ready to go that far. "I don't know that there has been enough research," he said.

Ultimately, he said, the legislature will have to address the issue when it returns to session in January.

"Biggest fear we have is the unknown," Parson told reporters, later adding: "This is the first step. The legislature is going to have to take a look at this during session."

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