D.C. to Ban E-Cigarettes?

Electronic cigarettes, an increasingly popular alternative to traditional tobacco products, may soon be classified as cigarettes and therefore banned in all public places and on sidewalks, according to a recent Washington Post story.

District Councilmembers Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) and David Grosso (I-At Large) introduced a bill that would end the trend of “e-cigarettes” being used in restaurants, bars, Metrobuses and office buildings.

Alexander, chairwoman of the District government’s health committee, described the e-cigarettes as being “used to usurp the smoking ban” and stated “we don’t know what the ill effects of this [e-cigarettes] are, and it’s still a bother to some people."

Other cities and state governments are getting involved in e-cigarettes. Utah lawmakers introduced a bill to tax and ban the sale of e-cigarettes online, Connecticut is considering banning their use indoors, New York state may ban them entirely.

The Maryland Transit Administration, which operates MARC trains, does not allow the smoking of e-cigarettes on trains. They are also not allowed on Amtrak trains.

The Post article quotes a spokesperson from Blue Cigs, a manufacturer of e-cigarettes, as complaining that “from misinformed lawmakers to scared big tobacco companies, actions are being made to limit the sale and use of electronic cigarettes.”

While some people are using the electronic version to try and quit using traditional tobacco cigarettes, Councilmember Alexander takes the opposite view, telling the Post e-cigs “may encourage more people to start smoking.”