APPLETON - After a long battle between government and local businesses to exempt vape shops from a new workplace vaping ban, city officials are rethinking their decision.

The ban prohibits E-cigarette smoking, or vaping, in the workplace with the exception of specialty vapor shops, but members of the Common Council believe the ordinance's language is not clear enough.

After some discussion Wednesday night, council members decided to refer the resolution back to the Board of Health committee for further consideration.

"It's really unusual," Alderman Vered Meltzer told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. "Reconsideration is not used that often."

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As of now, no action has been taken on the ordinance. So, does that mean the vape store exemption could be reconsidered? City Attorney Jim Walsh says that could be a possibility.

"Once it gets to the Board of Health, they can do whatever they want with it," Walsh told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

Ken Kempen, co-owner of EVapor of Appleton, thinks modifying the language in the ordinance is a good idea, but he hopes the vape store exemption remains in place.

"I understand why they want to do it because it was very broad," Kempen told USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. "I just hope that it still goes through to make vape shops exempt."

Community health advocates have spoken out in support of the reconsideration of the vaping ordinance and expressed their desire for the city to deny specialty shops an exemption due to health concerns.

"We know there is a ton of risk to E-cigarettes," Beth Menzel, a doctor at Mosaic Family Health, told the council. "The flavorings themselves cause cancer."

Emma Kane does not think banning vaping at all businesses, including vape shops, will be detrimental to small businesses.

"There's no evidence to suggest that disallowing the sampling of a toxic product will devastate any small business here in Appleton as business owners will still be allowed to operate and sell their product," Kane told the council. "There is, however, evidence to suggest that exposure to this toxic secondhand vapor is detrimental to the health of everyone.

"This council has a moral obligation to ensure that all policies enacted within Appleton fully considers any and all potential health ramifications."

Several opponents of the ban, including Kempen, came out to support local vape shop owners and employees at the last Common Council meeting when the ordinance was first approved. He doesn't think support will waver a second time around.

"The people that are trying to cancel the exemption are the people who would never, ever step foot in a vape shop," Kempen said. "Vapers step foot in a vape shop.

"My end goal is not to get people to switch to vaping. My end goal is to get everyone to quit (smoking cigarettes). They don't understand the passion."

Contact Mica Soellner at 920-996-7226 or msoellner@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @micasoellner.