Gov. Charlie Baker with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. (Karyn Regal/WBZ NewsRadio)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Massachusetts vape ban enacted three months ago by Gov. Charlie Baker is set to end next week. The governor spoke with WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal Friday to talk about what a post-ban Massachusetts will look like.
When Baker declared a public health emergency in September and banned vape sales in the Commonwealth, it closed businesses and sent vapers into a panic, but he said he believes the ban was needed and worth the trouble.
"I think the ban served its purpose," he said. "I mean, I get the fact that that created a lot of disruption for many people, and I understand that and respect that, and it made it a difficult decision. But our concerns about the public health issue—and especially the injury data and the death data and the lack of knowledge about why people were getting sick or injured or dying—we felt meant the ban needed to be in place."
Baker does not say he wants the ban expanded. He said the most important thing is that the public is now more aware of dangers associated with vaping, and hopes the legislation will have done more, too.
"It is our hope and our anticipation that when the Public Health Council meets next week, they will in fact implement both public information around this, but also some rules of the road with respect to where and how vaping products can be sold here in the Commonwealth," he said.
He said he hopes adults now have the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.
WBZ NewsRadio's Karyn Regal (@Karynregal) reports
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