Winnebago County weighing ban on indoor e-cigarette use

When it was time for the Good Nature E-Vapor employee holiday party, owner Ben Grothe asked his staff to exercise a little discretion when using their electronic cigarettes and vaporizers.

Grothe, who operates e-cigarette stores in Oshkosh and Appleton, asked his employees to step outside the restaurant to "vape," as the kids call it these days, rather than fill the restaurant with clouds of scented exhaust.

"Some people don't care about anyone but themselves and will blow large clouds of vapor inside places," Grothe said. "Do that at home if you want to, but not in a public place. We should be respectful of others, but not all people are respectful."

The personal courtesy that Grothe and his employees showed could become a legal requirement in Winnebago County if public health officials get their way.

In the short term, Health Department Director Doug Gieryn wants the Winnebago County Board consider enacting ordinances that would restrict use of e-cigarettes in county buildings and vehicles. The longer term goal is a general ban on their use in bars, restaurants and other businesses and public places in much the same way the statewide smoking ban prohibits smoking.

"E-cigarettes are tobacco products and we should treat them as such under the smoke-free law," Gieryn said. "It would potentially impact private entities that are currently following state law on the smoke-free workplace."

Gieryn will present background on e-cigarettes to the Winnebago County Board during a special meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday as a first step toward regulating e-cigarettes' overall use in the county.

On social media outlets, the public offered a range of opinions on regulating vaporizers like cigarettes.

County Board Supervisor Rachel Youngquist, a member of the county's Board of Health, said she expects the committee to spend the next several months working out the details.

Part of the challenge, Youngquist said, is the lack of information on the ingredients in the vaporizer liquid.

"There's such little information out there that I think Tuesday's meeting will inform us all more," she said. "This is the second step after doing the research to present to the full board. The Board of Health will probably discuss it at our next meeting and then we'd recommend steps to take to the full board."

E-cigarettes and vaporizers' rapid growth in popularity has caught local governments and public health agencies a little flat-footed up to now. There's little in the way of rules or regulations beyond state laws that prohibit the sale of vaporizers to minors or requirements that vaporizer liquids list ingredients and come a nicotine warning label.

Gieryn said research on the long-term health implications of the nicotine-infused liquid used in e-cigarettes is inconclusive.

"It's dangerous to handle. Often times, there's enough nicotine in an e-cig juice bottle to cause significant harm or death to a child or infant," Gieryn said.

Gieryn said initial topics he intends to discuss with the County Board and the Board of Health do not focus on the retail aspect of e-cigarettes. Instead, he said he remains focused on the fact that a lot of the liquid used in vaporizers contains nicotine, an addictive substance.

"Nicotine is addictive and we're creating a new generation of addicted users of e-cigarettes," Gieryn said. "It's still totally unregulated marketing occurring. It can be marketed to youth and we're seeing lots of products that are candy-flavored that appeal to youth. Even though they're illegal to purchase, we're seeing highly escalating rates of use."

Grothe said there is a lot of misinformation available on vaporizers and their impact on individuals' health. He also agreed that some e-cigarette users can be inconsiderate, but he said more regulation was not the answer.

Grothe said Good Nature E-Vapor is subject to numerous regulations already. He said the liquid he sells must list the ingredients on the bottle and warn customers that it may contain nicotine. He also said all ingredients are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and that local weights and measures regulators require all bottles he sells to have child-proof lids.

"Where do we draw the line with government regulations and laws?" Grothe asked. "I agree it can be obnoxious when someone unleashes a big cloud of vapor, but whether they can or can't do that should be the choice of the business owner."

Jeff Bollier: (920) 426-6688 or jbollier@thenorthwestern.com.

If you go ...

Winnebago County Board of Supervisors

• When: 6 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 6

• Where: Winnebago County Courthouse, fourth floor, 415 Jackson St.

• More information: Log onto www.co.winnebago.wi.us for agendas and other information.