Bill Would Exempt E-Cigarettes From Smoking Ban

Local Governments Across State Have Already Enacted Restrictions

By
TBEC (CC-BY)

A bill in the state Legislature would exempt electronic cigarettes from the state’s indoor smoking ban, a measure that would pre-empt local restrictions on the vaporized nicotine devices.

Dane County Supervisor Jenni Dye is introducing one such local measure to restrict use of “e-cigs” in public places. The city of Madison already introduced its own restrictions earlier this year. The proposed county ordinance would apply to towns.

“It is exactly the same as the smoke-free law that we all are very familiar with,” said Dye. “If you are at a bar or restaurant, you can’t smoke inside. What this means is you can’t smoke inside, whether that’s a regular cigarette or an e-cigarette.”

Stay informed on the latest news

Sign up for WPR’s email newsletter.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The Wisconsin chapter of the American Cancer Society said Florence County currently bans e-cigarettes in public places. Ten other counties currently have limited policies against e-cigs, prohibiting their use at work on county property.

The Food and Drug Administration is considering regulations on e-cigarettes. It’s said e-cigarettes haven’t been fully studied to know how much nicotine or other potentially harmful chemicals are inhaled.