Calif. Lawmaker Pushing For Ban On Smoking E-Cigarettes In Public Places
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - A state senator is pushing a ban on lighting up electronic cigarettes in public places in California.
SB140 by Democratic San Francisco Sen. Mark Leno would classify the devices that heat liquid nicotine into vapor as tobacco products similar to cigarettes. That would prohibit Californians from vaping in restaurants, buses, hospitals and other places they cannot smoke.
Leno says e-cigarettes are tobacco products in a trendy disguise. Public health advocates are pushing to regulate the fast-growing market while e-cigarette safety research is in early stages.
The American Vaping Association says the bill sends an incorrect message that e-cigarettes are as dangerous as smoking. Makers of the devices tout e-cigarettes as a low-risk alternative to smoking.
A similar bill introduced in 2013 failed to pass amid opposition from the tobacco industry.