Usually people in libraries simply ask you to be quiet, but in Largo they’ve been upset aboutthe use of e-cigarettes. Even more distressing for them was the fact there were no lawsagainst their use so now politicians with nothing better to do are trying to change that.An ordinance is being drafted that will prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in city-owned buildings Largo Commissioner Jamie Robinson shows just how little he knows about the subject bysaying: “I just don’t think you should be smoking them inside a public building.” It’s ‘vaping’Mr Robinson, go away and do some research.Also totally failing to inspire knowledge of the subject is Bronson Frick, associate director ofAmericans for Non-Smokers Rights. He says: “These products aren’t safe.” Nowconsidering it’s vaping not smoking, aren’t users of e-cigarettes people who could bemembers of the group he works for?Frick obviously hasn’t read the recent reports that show how e-cigarettes aren’t as addictive as tobacco cigarettes. Nor has he read the comments of Professor Robert West who says:“The vapor contains nothing like the concentrations of carcinogens and toxins as cigarettesmoke. In fact, concentrations are almost all well below a twentieth of cigarettes.”But most critics just don’t read the positive information that’s out there.The wisdom of Frick continues as he says that only two Florida municipalities — LighthousePoint and Orange Park — had banned them. Perhaps that’s because there isn’t really aproblem being caused by e-cigarettes?Gary Wilder, manager of Lizard Juice, a Largo-based national distributor of e-cigarettes, saidthat e-cigarettes do have a fragrance that can bother some people. But if the law wasextended that would be an “over-reaction” and he added: “There are no studies at all thatprove this to be harmful in any direction.”Meanwhile the Camarillo City Council is also planning to adopt an ordinance to regulate thesale of e-cigarettes. Dave Norman is their director of community development and claimsthat they are attempting to regulate a product “that’s out of control.”Norman said the new ordinance, if approved by the council, would expand the definition ofsmoking products and paraphernalia to include e-cigarettes and e-cigarette products. Thenew code would prohibit customers from smoking and sampling smoking products beforebuying unless the business is a legally permitted smoking lounge.It will also require that vendors post signs that comply with the Stop Tobacco Access to KidsEnforcement Act. So hang on a minute, e-cigarette vendors will have to comply with an Actaimed at stopping tobacco access to kids? These officials do know that e-cigarettes don’tactually contain tobacco and that the industry has no interest in selling its product to kids.Don’t they realize that a key use of e-cigarettes is to get people away from tobacco? Againthis is simply pointless, unnecessary and unwanted regulation.The city will hold a public hearing to introduce the ordinance on Jan. 12, and the council willvote on the ordinance at its Jan. 28 meeting.