Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday "an emergency action" to ban the sale of flavored electronic cigarettes statewide.

Cuomo said state Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker will hold a meeting with the Public Health and Health Planning Council this coming week that will formally ban the flavored use of nicotine that is also known as vaping.

The action comes as federal and state investigators are trying to figure out why some e-cigarette users have been racked with a serious respiratory illness. As of last week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that there were 380 cases of lung illness nationwide, with six deaths.

The concern lies with not knowing what possible ingredients in flavored electronic cigarettes might be contributing to the sudden, devastating illness — and the fact that fruit or candy-flavored electronic cigarettes are causing use to soar with teens nationwide.

After the state health planning council votes, stores would have a two-week grace period to get the flavored e-cigarette products off the shelves before facing possible fines.

Michigan was the first state just after Labor Day to ban flavored electronic cigarettes.

"Manufacturers of fruit and candy-flavored e-cigarettes are intentionally and recklessly targeting young people, and today we're taking action to put an end to it," Cuomo said in a statement.

Cuomo's announcement came after President Donald Trump Wednesday announced the federal government's move to ban all flavored e-cigarettes by having the Food and Drug Administration develop guidelines to remove them from the market. The restrictions announced by Trump administration officials would apply only to nicotine products, which are regulated by the FDA.

New York's ban also only targets vaping that includes nicotine.

"I'm not waiting for the federal government to come protect the people of the State of New York," Cuomo said at a press conference in New York City Sunday. "I've been disappointed time and time and time again. The political influence of these companies is not to be underestimated."

A week ago, Cuomo put out a statement urging people to stop vaping.

E-cigarettes work by heating a liquid to produce an aerosol that users inhale into their lungs. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported from a 2011 to 2018 survey that 1 in 5 high school students are using e-cigarettes. Schools nationwide have reported a rash of students who are sneaking the smoking of electronic cigarettes — which only emit the slight odor of the flavoring the student is exhaling.

The state's investigations into its own respiratory cases have revealed a possible causal relationship between the illnesses and a black market vaping liquid that also contains cannabis and Vitamin E, which is illegal in New York.

As there has been no direct link between flavored e-cigarette liquid that is sold in stores and the illnesses, vape store owners attacked Cuomo last week for targeting the wrong product.

Juul Labs, one of the largest e-cigarette retailers, put out a statement Sunday saying its company does not market to children, and that it backed New York's recent legislation that will increase the smoking age from 18 to 21 starting in November.

Juul said it is "fighting against counterfeit and compatible products made with unknown ingredients under unknown manufacturing standards, and will fully comply with local laws and the final FDA policy when effective."

Meanwhile, both the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the American Lung Association criticized Cuomo Sunday for not including menthol flavoring in the e-cigarette ban. At the New York City press conference, Cuomo said he deferred to the health commissioner, who said that particular flavoring has been useful for some menthol cigarette smokers to try to wean themselves off traditional tobacco.

A few hours later, Cuomo's office told the Times Union that the health planning council will discuss if menthol-flavored e-cigarettes should be a part of the ban.

"Exempting menthol e-cigarettes from this rule makes no sense. This emergency rule has glaring holes that will allow the tobacco industry to continue to lure our kids with menthol e-cigarettes," American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network managing director of government relations Bill Sherman said in a statement.

Mint flavor, which is different than menthol, will be included in the ban, Cuomo's office said.

The governor's office also said State Police and the state Department of Health will be conducting more undercover operations across the state using underage youths who attempt to buy tobacco and e-cigarette products.

"At the same time, unscrupulous stores are knowingly selling vaping products to underage youth — those retailers are now on notice that we are ramping up enforcement and they will be caught and prosecuted," Cuomo said in a statement.