This archive report was first published on 5 October 2019.
On October 4, 2019, the US state of Massachusetts upheld a ban on e-cigarettes, becoming the first state to do so amid a growing number of vaping-related deaths and illnesses.
Since March, 18 deaths in 15 states have been linked to vaping, with a total of 1,080 cases of illness reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Connecticut officials also announced a further death in the state on the same day.
Massachusetts initially banned all e-cigarette devices in September, with the prohibition set to last for four months.
Manufacturers challenged the ban in a Boston court, arguing that the law was disproportionate to the health risks posed by the devices.
However, the court rejected the application for an interim lifting of the ban, stating that it would 'conflict with the public interest.'
A full hearing of the case is set to take place on October 15.
E-cigarettes have been available in the US since 2006, initially conceived as a smoking cessation device.
However, their use has skyrocketed among teens, with preliminary data showing that over a quarter of high school students used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days in 2019.
