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Public health professional urges Albany County support for state bill banning vaping devices disguised as school supplies
Summary
Benjamin Michaels urged the Albany County Legislature to back New York Senate Bill S195, which would ban vaping devices disguised as school supplies, and asked the county to prepare education campaigns and resources ahead of state action.
Benjamin Michaels, a public health professional from Guilderland, spoke during the public forum and urged Albany County legislators to push for state Assembly action on S195, a Senate bill that would ban the sale of vaping devices deliberately disguised as school supplies and marketed to children. He told the legislature a student in the state had gone into critical condition after using a vaping device contaminated with fentanyl and said county-level education and business outreach should follow if the bill becomes law.
Michaels recommended a county resolution supporting S195 to amplify constituent expectations to state representatives and suggested local preparations including school administrator training and business guidance on legal and ethical responsibilities. The clerk responded that Albany County had passed a local law (local law O of 2024) addressing the issue locally and noted the county is "ahead of the state" on that front.
Next steps: Michaels offered to be contacted for follow-up; the transcript does not show a formal motion by the legislature to adopt a local supportive resolution at that meeting.
