New York’s Health Department Public Health Council voted to ban flavored e cigarettes in the state beginning October 4. They did so  over the protests of vape shop owners, who say they are helping people quit smoking tobacco cigarettes, and that  they will lose their businesses when the ban takes effect.

With just two council members voting against the motion, the ban on flavored e-cigarettes in New York will take place in two weeks.

Some of the Vape shop owners, who testified at the hearing, erupted in anger.

We talk all things cider! We preview Finger Lakes Cider Week, which kicks off on the 27th.

Our panelists share trends and discuss new developments within the cider industry. Our guests:

• Jason Wilson, author of “The Cider Revival: Dispatches from the Orchard”
• Autumn Stoscheck, apple grower, cidermaker, and co-owner of Eve’s Cidery
• Eric Shatt, co-owner of Redbyrd Orchard Cider, and orchard manager for Cornell University's Ithaca-based orchard
  

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness. Those individuals are family members, friends, neighbors and community members; perhaps everyone knows someone who is struggling with a mental health issue.

Actor Sean Astin lived with a parent struggling with bipolar disorder. His mother was acclaimed actress Patty Duke, who devoted much of her life to reducing the stigma of mental illness. Now, Astin is doing the same. He’s coming to Rochester as a guest of East House’s annual Hope and Recovery Luncheon where he’ll share his story and message, but first, he joins us on Connections.

We also talk with representatives from East House about recovery, how to care for caregivers, how to eliminate the stigma of mental illness, and more. Our guests:

• Sean Astin, actor and advocate for mental health awareness
• Kim Brumber, president and CEO of East House
• Chuck Montante, board member for East House and president of Westfall Associates
• Beth Bloom, peer support specialist at East House

A spokesman for Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that a plan to charge up to $45 to replace license plates more than 10 years old is no longer going forward.

The news comes after a Siena College poll finds New Yorkers strongly oppose having to pay for new license plates.

The vaping industry is reacting to Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s upcoming ban on flavored e-cigarettes, saying that it is misguided and will force many small-business owners to close their shops and lay off employees. Some are predicting legal action.

Cuomo, speaking on WNYC’s The Brian Lehrer Show one day after announcing the planned ban, said the flavored e-cigarettes are designed to addict children to nicotine.