Public Health Emergency Declared in Massachusetts, September 24, 2019

On September 24, 2019, Governor Charles D. Baker declared a public health emergency in response to the outbreak of severe lung disease associated with the use of e-cigarettes and vaping products and the epidemic of e-cigarette use among youth. The Governor called for a temporary four-month statewide ban on the sale of flavored and non-flavored vaping products in both retail stores and online. The sales ban applies to all vaping products and devices, including tobacco and marijuana. The ban takes effect immediately and lasts through January 25, 2020.

Vaping is associated with serious medical issues for some users, including the possibility of permanent lung damage. Boston-area medical professionals have declared that vaping products are not safe. For more information about vaping and its possible health effects, visit www.mass.gov/vapingemergency.

Students may also contact the Department of Health Promotion and Prevention for additional information and resources related to vaping. Under the current guidance of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health Promotion and Prevention is recommending the following:

• If you currently do not use e-cigarettes, continue not using them.
• Do not use THC vaping products.
• Do not use THC/nicotine Pods from unregulated sellers.
• Anyone who uses an e-cigarette or vaping product should not buy these products (e.g., e-cigarette or vaping products with THC or CBD oils) off the street, should not purchase counterfeit pods, and should not modify or add any substances to these products that are not intended by the manufacturer.
• If you are concerned about health risks, consider refraining from using e-cigarette or vaping products. Health Promotion can assist with cessation programs to help you quit.
• If you are an adult who used e-cigarettes containing nicotine to quit cigarette smoking, do not return to smoking cigarettes.
• If you have recently used an e-cigarette or vaping product and you have symptoms like those reported, see a healthcare provider.
• Regardless of the ongoing investigation, youth and young adults should not use e-cigarette products.

If you have decided to quit using nicotine products, Health Promotion and Prevention can help you quit.

For your health and safety, Tufts University is a smoke free institution where the use of tobacco, e-cigarette and vaping products is prohibited with the exception of outdoor areas that are 25 feet from buildings.