The Baker administration is prepared for a lawsuit set to be filed Monday challenging Gov. Charlie Baker’s four-month ban on the sale of vaping products amid concerns over a lung disease, the governor said Monday morning.
Three vape shops plan to file a lawsuit in federal court, WCVB reported, claiming the unilateral ban on vaping produce sales until Jan. 25 will cause irreparable harm to businesses.
The Baker administration last week ordered all e-cigarette and related products off shelves until January. Massachusetts is the first state to take such significant action amid increased reports of a mysterious vaping- related respiratory illness.
Baker told reporters at a groundbreaking event in North Quincy Monday that, with almost 900 cases nationwide and more than 70 in Massachusetts, he believes a months-long pause is the proper approach to ensure safety.
“People aren’t really quite sure about why, and until we have a better answer on why, we felt the best thing to do is to put in a four-month ban,” he said. “Obviously people have the ability to go to court if they wish to, and we’ll continue to make our case associated with the public health issue on this.”
