The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to ban the use of electronic cigarettes from bars restaurants, public beaches and parks.
The ordinance, proposed by City Attorney Mike Feuer and councilmembers O’Farrell, Paul Koretz, and Bernard Parks, bans e-cig use from public spaces and restricts the sales to adults only, a local CBS affiliate reported.
Many smokers have turned to the battery-powered cigarettes to help them quit, and the American Association of Public Health Physicians even recommends it. Many e-cigs allow users to inhale vaporized liquid nicotine instead of tobacco smoke.
Research has yet to determine the extent to which e-cigarettes may pose a public health threat, CBS reported.
“I’m struggling with this because I want to make sure we are solving a problem based on actual facts and justification,” said Council member Paul Krekorian, NBC reported. “There are a variety of different views on the impact of what that second-hand vapor may be.
New York City passed a similar ban on e-cigarettes in December. Council members had argued that banning tobacco cigarettes in public places, while still allowing the use of electronic cigarettes, would send a mixed message and confuse the public.
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• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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