COLUMBUS - Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine wants to ban flavored vape juice and e-cigarettes but he'll need the legislature's help to do so.

DeWine told reporters Tuesday that he didn't have the authority to ban the sale of flavored vape products via executive order. But he still believes they are dangerous to children and teens, luring them into a nicotine addiction with flavors like mango and mint.

"Nothing is more important than the safety of our children," DeWine said. "Their health and well-being, I believe, are clearly today at risk as tobacco and vaping companies target our kids with orchestrated efforts to get them hooked on nicotine, e-cigarettes and vaping products."

Ohio joins other states cracking down on vaping as health officials nationwide try to pinpoint the cause of a vaping-related lung injury that has left at least 12 dead and more than 800 ill. In Ohio, 22 people have fallen ill. They range in age from 15 years old to 59 years old.

Governors in Michigan, New York, Rhode Island and Washington have banned the sale of flavored e-cigarettes, leading to several lawsuits. Last week, Massachusetts announced a four-month ban on sales of all vapor products, including legal marijuana products sold in the state.

Vape products use an "e-liquid" that is heated to create a vapor that is inhaled. E-liquid typically consists of a base such as propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, flavorings and other ingredients, including nicotine.

Opponents of vaping say flavors like strawberry kiwi and pink lemonade target children and teenagers banned from smoking. And there's evidence that vaping is on the rise among adolescents: 40.5% of 12th graders in 2019 said they had ever tried vaping compared to 25% two years earlier, according to a University of Michigan survey.

Last week, Rep. Tom Patton, R-Strongsville, introduced legislation to ban flavored e-cigarettes and require that vape products be sold behind a counter.

Vape business owners want to work with lawmakers to restrict children from flavored vapes but allow adults to continue purchasing them, said James Jarvis, president of the Ohio Vapor Trade Association, which represents vape manufacturers and retailers.

"It was good to hear that we didn’t have to shut our businesses down tomorrow and force our consumers back to the black market because of an executive order,” Jarvis said.

Proponents of e-cigarettes say vaping can help adults quit smoking. And adults like the flavors, too. The Ohio Vapor Trade Association estimates 85% of vape shop business comes from flavored e-liquid.

A ban on medical marijuana vaping?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has advised against using e-cigarettes or vaping products, especially those containing THC, the active compound in marijuana.

But Ohio's medical marijuana program is not limiting sales of vape products. State regulators have cautioned businesses making legal vape products they might ban certain ingredients or products in the future.

“We take these incidents very seriously," wrote Greg McIlvaine, Ohio Department of Commerce policy adviser, in an email to businesses Monday. “Licensees may want to consider producing alternative medical marijuana products that would not be consumed through vaping."

Still, DeWine cannot ban medical marijuana vaping products unilaterally because they are allowed by state law.

And there's no evidence that products made by medical marijuana businesses led to any sickness. The Ohio Department of Health has said the majority of the state's 22 cases of illness involved illegal marijuana vape products.

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Nationwide, most of the confirmed cases of the lung illness have been linked to illicit THC, a compound in marijuana. Others have involved nicotine.

“They should be looking at this," said Alex Thomas, spokesman for the Ohio Medical Marijuana License Holders Coalition. "What we believe they will find is people are not getting sick from products they’re buying at dispensaries."

The four medical marijuana businesses that are making vape oils and disposable vape pens say they stand by their products. None use vitamin E acetate, a thickening agent New York and other states found in vape products linked to the severe lung disease.

Standard Wellness Company, one of the four Ohio businesses making vape oils, has decided to put a disclaimer on all vape products: “WARNING: Smoking or Vaping May Cause Serious Risks to Your Health.”

Adverse vaping effects include nausea, hearing voices

Ohio's medical marijuana program's toll-free helpline has received six reports of adverse effects involving vape oils. They included shortness of breath, nausea, pain, vomiting, hearing voices and having an out of body experience, according to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.

The board would not say whether the oils connected to the reports were sold legally or illegally. They did warn patients about the CDC's warning.

The helpline has received 30 reports of adverse effects involving any product, a pharmacy board spokeswoman disclosed Monday, one month after The Enquirer first asked about reported problems.

Other efforts to reduce youth vaping

DeWine detailed several other plans to help reduce vaping illnesses and vaping among children. They include: