PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Governor Gina Raimondo has authorized the Rhode Island Department of Health to begin the process of banning flavored vaping products from stores in the state.

She signed an executive action Wednesday afternoon, saying she was acting as both a mother and the governor, after seeing flavored e-cigarettes become a public health crisis.

According to the Department of Health Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott, the executive order has enacted emergency regulations that last 120 days with an optional extension of 60 more days.

In this time, the R.I. Department of Health and state health workers will be gathering information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and other health organizations to figure out what their long-term solutions will be.

Raimondo said she was prompted to take action on Wednesday after the CDC issued a statement earlier this week urging states to take action on their own, concerning vaping.

This directive is different from the executive order issued by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker who signed a directive Tuesday immediately banning all vaping products from stores for four months.

Instead, in Rhode Island, Raimondo said e-cigarette and vaping products will still be available in stores for adults, but there will be no flavored options available.

“Electronic cigarettes and tobacco products will still be available and adults who are using [vaping products] to quit smoking, that will still be readily available,” Raimondo said.

She said her order is focused on protecting children, whom she said are the targets of vaping sales.

“What adult drinks strawberry milk?” Raimondo asked as she held up a sample box of strawberry milk flavored e-cigarettes.

“They look fun and flavorful and healthy, it’s the exact opposite, it’s dangerous,” she added.

When asked if menthol flavor will also be banned, Alexander-Scott said they would be looking into that option.

Raimondo said when the ban is enacted sometime next week, Rhode Island State Police will be in charge of enforcement.

According to the CDC, there have been 530 cases of lung injuries reported from 38 states. However, the R.I. Department of Health has not reported any vaping-related illnesses.

“This is a serious issue getting more serious every single day,” Raimondo said. “I don’t think we can wait. So that’s why I’ve decided to act, and act with the urgency that I think it requires.”

Protesters outside the State House Wednesday morning said a ban could have a negative impact on businesses, revenue and even their health.

Mike Runshe, one of the owners of Giant Vapes in East Providence, voiced concerns that a ban “could put every vape shop in Rhode Island out of business.”

Runshe said if people can’t buy vaping products, “they could go back to smoking,” also leading to a number of health risks.

“I quit smoking with vaping products in 2012. I don’t know if I’m going to go back to smoking or not, but I know a lot of my customers will,” he said.

Jennifer Wall of the R.I. American Lung Association said banning flavors is a crucial step to prevent kids from using tobacco products.

“Kids are getting hooked on them early, to life long addiction of tobacco use, so by suspending the sale of e-cigarettes, we’re addressing the epidemic,” she said.

Wall said those who are trying to quit smoking should use an FDA-approved method instead.

“Lozenges, Nicorette,  gum, anything that has been approved through a vetting process,” she said.

John Mahlecke said he quit smoking after watching his father die from the negative impacts of tobacco. He said vaping was the only way he was able to kick the habit.

“I tried Chantix, I tried gum, I tried patches, nothing worked. But vaping did,” Mahlecke said. “After I started vaping, I noticed I could taste foods better, I could breathe better. I had my doctor say that I’m healthier than I was when I was smoking.”

Mahlecke said he believes banning vaping is a “dangerous decision.”

“It’s not a pill, it’s not a patch, it’s a vapor,” he explained, adding that tainted cartridges are the reason for the uptick in vaping-related illnesses. “Banning vaping will not only be a detriment to Rhode Island but a detriment to the entire country.”