WESTLAND, Mich. (WWJ) -- As Michigan's ban on flavored e-cigarettes goes into effect on Wednesday, one local police agency says they will be cracking down when it comes to enforcing it.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's issued emergency rules to carry out the ban last month, making Michigan the first state in the nation to prohibit the sale of flavored e-cigarettes products as details about the potential health risks of vaping become public.
The ban goes into effect at midnight and Westland police say community police officers and traffic bureau officers will conduct an educational campaign by visiting establishments currently selling these types of products.
Officers will instruct shop owners to remove products that violate the ban if they have not already. Police will conduct follow-up inspections to ensure that they continue to comply with the emergency rules.
"The purpose for theses visits will be to educate the shop owners on the emergency rules issued by the Department of Health and Human Services and ensure that the shops do not have any prohibited products offered for sale," Westland Police Chief Jeff Jedrusik said in a statement. "We will have a team of community officers on the road for the next few days reminding them of the ban."
Whitmer issued the ban in early September, accusing the makers of vape products intentionally using candy flavors and deceptive ads to hook children.
"Flavored e-cigarettes come in flavors such as cotton candy and bubble gum, clearly targeting one type of smoker: Kids who otherwise wouldn't pick up a cigarette. The health risks of these e-cigarettes are still unknown but proven to be dangerous," Westland police said in a statement.
There is also a component to the emergency rules that deals with advertising restrictions for the banned products and this will be explained to the business owners as well.
The ban will go into effect Wednesday after a judge said she is not ready to decide whether to stop it. Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Stephens heard arguments Tuesday regarding an injunction being sough by a vape store owner in the Upper Peninsula. The Houghton store owner filed a lawsuit last week seeking a temporary restraining order that would stop the implementation of the ban. The lawsuit also seeks a preliminary injunction, which would delay the ban longer.
While Judge Stephens says she did not have enough time to make a decision, the attorney general's office says the hearing will continue on Oct. 8.
President Donald Trump has also proposed a federal ban on flavored e-cigarettes and vaping products.