Rockland extends smoking ban to e-cigarettes

Rockland County lawmakers have approved extending the county's strict smoking ban to include e-cigarettes.

The Legislature voted 15-0 on Tuesday to lump electronic cigarettes — small, battery-powered vaporizers that heat liquid nicotine — into existing restrictions on traditional tobacco products. Westchester County made a similar move in June.

Legislator Aney Paul, D-Nanuet, who proposed the bill, said she was concerned about the growing acceptance of e-cigarettes, or "vaping," among middle and high school students. She called it a potential "gateway" to cancer-causing tobacco.

"I was worried about the potential health impact on the next generation," Paul said. "You can see it in the middle school students who are starting to use e-cigarettes."

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the number of teens who "vape" tripled between 2013 and 2014.

E-cigarettes contain nicotine-laced liquid that can come in a variety of candy-like flavors, such as bubble gum.

Sellers and users have been fuming over the proposed change. They view vaping as a safer alternative to traditional tobacco products, although the science is hazy on how safe the products actually are.

"I quit cigarettes and I vape," Rosanne Sica wrote on lohud.com back in August. "This is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen."

The Consumer Advocates For Smoke-Free Alternatives Association urged members to try to block the ban, listing Legislators and their phone numbers on its website.

Since 2003, Rockland has had a ban in place on smoking in offices, restaurants, schools, sports facilities. and county government buildings.

Violators of the ban could face a $150 fine for a first violation and $300 for each subsequent violation.

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