In the city of Duluth in Minnesota, there were three electronic cigarette ordinances introduced to the Council. Now, the City Council is considering these rules that will regulate the devices like they were conventional cigarettes.
Electronic Cigarette Ordinances
The three ordinances that were said to contain details on how electronic cigarettes should be dealt with in Duluth City. If enforced, these laws will have the same regulating policies for tobacco cigarettes and electronic cigarettes. This means that no one will also be allowed to vape in places where smoking is currently banned.
On the next agenda session meeting of the council on September 5, these electronic cigarette ordinances will once again be taken up.
During the last regular meeting of the Council, however, members met and sat as a whole committee to discuss these electronic cigarette ordinances.
It is only proper for the city to be on the public health’s front line, according to Jennifer Julsrud, while the safety of electronic cigarettes is still questioned. Still having question about electronic cigarettes? You might want to check out this Volcano Electronic Cigarette review.
Clean Indoor Act In Minnesota
This state law has wordings that address the products. Based on the law’s language, the devices do not fall under the smoking definition because in the act of vaping, the user utilizes heat to create vapor.
It involves no combustion or burning. Users draw from a device that looks like a real cigarette containing a super heater that can turn the liquid contained in the cartridge into vapor. This liquid may contain nicotine or just the flavor.
Julsrud, however, said that doctors say these vapors may also release harmful chemicals. Moreover, she also said that since liquids also come in many flavors like bubble gum, children could be the target of these products’ marketing.
It was Julsrud along with Linda King who introduced the electronic cigarette ordinances as per advice from Jill Doberstein, an American Lung Association representative. The American Lung Association has been known to advocate anti-smoking campaigns and smoking cessation.
According to Doberstein, these electronic devices still dispense nicotine. She added that their association is being proactive in this matter while the products’ effects on health are still being determined and argued about.
Patrick Boyle, a member of the Council inquired from Doberstein why the Council has been receiving a lot of e-mails regarding the electronic cigarette ordinances.
According to Emily Larson, people are misunderstanding the intention of the ordinances. It is not the plan of the city to ban the products, but merely to regulate them like cigarettes.
In Defense To Electronic Cigarettes
Brian Annis also spoke before the council said that the more that people see others using the devices, there will also be a greater chance that its use will increase and more people will be taken off tobacco.
Annis said that he has done intense research about the device ever since he made the decision to quit smoking one year ago. His father was also a lifelong smokers and he bought him an electronic cigarette when the old man showed interest to it. Soon, the old smoker also never had a tobacco cigarette.
Another Duluth resident, David Dallman, also showed support for the smoking alternatives by sending an e-mail to the council. Dallman said that electronic cigarettes are being criticized along with secondhand smoke, but the device is what worked for him and his three poker buddies to quit smoking.
In their group of four poker players, three were smokers. Now that the three of them are using electronic cigarettes, the non-smoker is not anymore complaining of smoke. Since the products come with nicotine and with no nicotine, Dallman is intending to soon vape without the nicotine.
Electronic cigarette ordinances and prohibitions are not new in many communities. Despite the positive gains of smokers from these devices, many officials and legislators are actually choosing to ban or restrict them because they say their efficiency and safety are not yet established. If ever, Duluth City will be the 18th of all cities in Minnesota to impose electronic cigarette ban.
