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Santa Cruz considers e-cigarette ban in public spaces Santa Cruz is looking at joining 45 other communities in California that have included electronic cigarette regulations in their smoking ordinances. Share Shares Copy Link Copy

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WEBVTT LOOKING AT JOINING 45OTHER COMMUNITIES INCALIFORNIA THAT HAVEINCLUDED ELCTRONICCIGARETTE REGULATIONSIN THEIR SMOKINGORDINANCES...IT WOULD BAN THEMIN MANY PUBLIC PLACESLIKE BARS,RESTAURANCTS ANDPARKS.ACTION NEWSREPORTER PHIL GOMEZ ISLIVE IN SANTA CRUZWITH MORE..PHIL?#ON TUESDAY, SANTACRUZ CITY LEADERS WILLCONSIDER WHETHERELECTRONIC VAPORUSERS SHOULD BE FINEDLIKE CIGARETTE SMOKERSIF THEY INHALE VAPORSIN AREAS WHERETOBBACCO USE ISALREADY ILLEGAL.THE E-CIGARETTECRACKDOWN WILL FORCEUSERS TO CAMP OUTWITH THOSE WHO AREBANNED FROM SMOKINGON BEACHES, ALONGPACIFIC AVENUE INDOWNTOWN SANTACRUZ, AND MANY OTHERPUBLIC DESTINATIONS.We've seen a prolific use of e-cigarettes in public locationsincluding, downtown,restaurants,bars places where tobacoo isillegal. So, it's creatingconfusionfor patrons for people goingdowntown. It's making itdifficultfor us to enforce existing nosmoking laws.BILLED AS A SAFER,CLEANER WAY TO GET ANICOTINE FIX,ELECTRONIC CIGARETTESARE GAINING INPOPULARITY. BUT HOWSAFE THEY ARE IS STILLUP FOR DEBATE.A lot is unknown about these newproducts. What we do know isthat they'renot regulated.They're not a proven deviceeventhough they're being marketed assuch. So, some preliminarystudies ahve shown that theyvapors to contain cancer causingchemicalshat can be dangerous tolife standards.IT'S BECAUSE OF THEUNKNOWN THATRESTARAUNT OWNER MIABOSSIE FEELSCOMFORTABLE WITH CITYLEADERS TAKING ACTION.For now,i thinki it's the rightthingto do until we know more aboutthem and it does kind of eventhe playing field for everybodywho sits out there smoking.GREEN VAPERS IS ONE OFTWO OUTLETS THATCATER EXCLUSIVELY TOELECTRONIC SMOKINGPRODUCTS.THE LAW DOESN'TIMPACT THE BUSINESSBUT IT COULD HAVE ANIMPACT ON SALES.It will in a sense sway peeoplenot to buy them because youdon't see the point if you havetogo outside and 'vape' why notjustsmoke cigarettes, so it mightbring down sales. Realisticallysales, at least for us, bigshopshave the same mentalility, whereit's not about sales, it's moreabout getting people to quit.AND PUBLIC OPINIONABOUT THE USE OFELECTRONIC CIGARETTESIS ALSO MIXED.Im an ex smoker and I'm temptedto smoke them on occassion butof course, I'm afraid of gettingaddicted again.With e-cigarettes, I don'tbelievethe second-hand smoke isharmful so I have to problemwithpeople smoking them indoors buti do think they're a gateway toregular cigarettes.AND OF COURSE, THERE'SALSO THE CONCERNABOUT THE ATTRACTIONE-CIGARETTES MAY HAVEON CHILDREN, WHENFLAVORS LIKE COTTONCANDY ARE BEINGOFFERED.THE CITY WILL BETAKING UP THE ISSUEDURING ITS AFTERNOONSESSION AT 3:00 PM.IN MONTEREY -- CITYLEADERS SAY THE NOSMOKING BAN ONFISHERMAN'S WHARF HASBEEN EFFECTIVE SO FAR-- EVEN WITHOUT THENEW SIGNS THE CITY ISPLANNING TO INSTALL INTHE COMING WEEKS...WE'RE TOLD MANY OFTHE RESTAURANTS HAVEA VESTED INTEREST INKEEPING THE WHARFSMOKE FREE.IT'S BEEN A STEPFORWARD IN PROMOTINGTHE OUTDOOR DININGEXPERIENCE.IF YOU'RE CAUGHTLIGHTING UP IT CANCOST YOU UP TO ONE-THOUSAND DOLLARS INFINES AND MAY EVENLAND YOU IN JAIL.####