Oglala Sioux ban e-cigarettes on Pine Ridge Reservation

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) – The Oglala Sioux Tribal Council has banned the sale, possession and use of e-cigarettes on the Pine Ridge Reservation amid a nationwide outbreak of vaping-related illnesses.

The Sioux Falls Argus Leader reports the tribal council approved the ban last week. The maximum penalty for violating it is a fine of $250 or 30 days in jail.

The tribe’s ordinance says the health of its people, including its youth is of utmost importance.

There have been at least six cases of vaping-related illness in South Dakota and over 800 across the country.

Tribal President Julian Bear Runner is also calling for further action to regulate all forms of tobacco and nicotine on the reservation.

The Pine Ridge Reservation has a population of roughly 20,000 in southwestern South Dakota.

AP-WF-10-01-2019