No Smoking

Update 03/04/14: On Tuesday, the Los Angeles County City Council voted to ban the use of e-cigarettes in most public places, as well as restaurants and work places. The ban comes just months after New York City and Chicago enacted their e-cigarette bans, which prohibit the use of "vaping" devices in bars, restaurants and public parks. There are now five states, as well as Washington D.C., that have deployed heavy regulations on the electronic devices, making the choice for any unsure restauranteurs previously struggling to come to grips with the technology. The debates being carried out across the country (and the world, really) reflect the newness of e-cigarettes. One of the major catalysts for the confusion surrounding vaporizing nicotine solutions stems from a lack of information. The Federal Government, organizations such as the FDA and CDC, have yet to release data on any possible adverse effects caused by the use of electronic cigarettes, or by breathing the second hand vapor. E-cigarettes are not regulated in the same manner as analog tobacco; some personal vaporizer (another term for e-cig) brands have aired commercials during the Super Bowl, and another had their product featured (intentionally or not, we do not know) at the most recent Grammy's. With a lack of facts to go on, many counties and private businesses throughout the country are taking it upon themselves to regulate the devices in their area. Some e-cigarette users and supporters believe the bans are premature, fear driven reactions, rather than thoughtful considerations of public safety. Some argue that the devices actually help people move away from tobacco, and that they could have a positive effect in terms of lowering overall tobacco consumption in the country. E-cigarette critics are worried that the devices are becoming to mainstream, undoing the years of work that have gone into publicly stigmatizing the use of tobacco. Some LA City Council members voiced their concerns that youth in particular will be drawn to the devices, and will become addicted to nicotine, using e-cigarettes as a gateway to tobacco. Source: LA Times Original Post 01/30/2014: When cigarette smoking was banned in restaurants and bars some time ago, smokers and business owners were quick to fight back. In the end, it turned out that the smoking ban generally improved traffic for businesses, and everyone has since accepted the changes as the new social norm. With the health risks of smoking now dangerously clear, another battle is set to take place on the restaurant stage. As Restaurant Business Online points out, many consumers are turning their attention to Electronic Cigarettes, and restaurateurs do not yet know how to handle the new phenomenon. Electronic Cigarettes are devices that heat a concentrated nicotine solution into a vapor, which can then be inhaled just like smoke. The difference, is that it is not smoke, but rather more like a steam. While many consumers and researchers suggest that e-cigarette vapor, and second hand vapor, are not harmful (or at least, substantially less harmful than cigarettes), the jury is still out, and some studies have shown that the vapor may contain carcinogens and harmful chemicals. The problem now is that as electronic cigarettes gain popularity, more and more people are being exposed to the trend, whether they like it or not. And while cigarettes have been banned in restaurants and most public places across the US for years, electronic cigarettes are a new craze and are sold and marketed outside of the regulations regarding tobacco. This means that technically, save for in private businesses that have specific bans, "smoking" an e-cigarette indoors is completely legal. Restaurants, movie theaters, university campuses and even workplaces are having to tackle the problem of how to regulate e-cigarettes and how to evaluate any good or harm they may do. What do you think? As a consumer or restaurant owner, do you support allowing e-cigarettes in restaurants, or do you think they should be banned just like traditional cigarettes? Let us know your opinion on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter. Source: Restaurant Business Online, Image Credit (Flickr, Image Cropped)