DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says she will not sign an executive order that would ban the sale of flavored vaping products but that several state agencies are developing plans to deal with the health risks tied to using electronic cigarettes.
Reynolds says she met Friday with state public health officials to discuss the illnesses reported in Iowa from vaping and how to address the problem.
Reynolds said Monday that efforts by governors in other states to block sales have been halted by the courts after lawsuits so she’s holding off on that approach.
Reynolds says the officials in public health, education and human services agencies are working on a plan to educate the public, especially students, about vaping risks.
More than 40 teenagers and young adults in Iowa have experienced severe respiratory illness from vaping. Most have used the electronic devices with THC, the active compound in marijuana that creates a high.
Nationally, more than 1,600 people have been sickened since March. At least 34 have died.