Senate unanimously passes Millett bill to ban e-cigarettes from schools

AUGUSTA — The Maine Senate voted to approve a bill from Sen. Rebecca Millett, D-Cape Elizabeth, that would ban e-cigarettes from Maine schools. LD 152, “An Act To Prohibit the Possession and Use of Electronic Smoking Devices on School Grounds,” was unanimously passed by the Senate on Tuesday.

“I’ve heard from students and teachers alike how concerned they are with the vaping epidemic in Maine schools,” said Sen. Millett. “We need to be doing all we can to ensure the health and wellbeing of our children. I’m so grateful this bill has received such strong support in the Legislature.”

Although federal law prohibits selling e-cigarettes to minors, including most school-age children, students can easily purchase e-cigarettes online or acquire them through other means. In 2018, the FDA released a statement saying that e-cigarette use among U.S. teens had reached an epidemic level. Countless studies have found that nicotine is highly addictive; additionally, teenagers are more likely to develop a nicotine addiction because their brains are still developing.

LD 152 updates the prohibition against tobacco use in elementary and secondary schools to include the possession of an electronic smoking device, including but not limited to electronic cigarettes, electronic cigars, electronic hookahs or vape pens.

The bill now heads to Gov. Janet Mills’ desk. She has 10 days to either veto the bill, sign it into law, or allow it to become law without her signature.