× Thanks for reading! Log in to continue. Enjoy more articles by logging in or creating a free account. No credit card required. Log in Sign up {{featured_button_text}}

Vaping is no longer allowed on the Pine Ridge Reservation after the Oglala Sioux Tribal Council voted last week to ban the practice.

The new ordinance is a "bold action to regulate nicotine intake" and was inspired by recent vaping-related deaths, President Julian Bear Runner wrote in a Sept. 26 news release.

Federal, state and local agencies are investigating hundreds of lung injuries and 12 deaths in the United States associated with vaping devices, which can contain nicotine, THC, CBD and/or other products, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The agency recommends not using vaping devices, especially those that contain THC, while the issue is investigated.

The Oglala Sioux ordinance says no one is allowed to make, sell, buy, possess or use electronic smoking devices (ESDs) — including electronic cigarettes and vapes— used to inhale nicotine or other substances. It also makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to obtain or use any kind of tobacco products, and for people to sell them to minors. The maximum punishment for breaking the new laws is a $250 fine and three months in jail.