December 4th Hearing on Proposed Legislation to Prohibit Use of Electronic Cigarettes in Public Spaces<\/p>\n
City Hall, NY \u2013 On Wednesday, December 4th at 10:00am, the Council’s Health Committee will hold a public hearing on legislation sponsored by Council Member James F. Gennaro and Speaker Quinn to include electronic cigarettes in the City’s Smoke-Free Air Act. The bill would prohibit use of e-cigarettes in restaurants, offices, parks, beaches and other public spaces. The hearing will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall.<\/p>\n
Joint Statement by Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn, Council Member James F. Gennaro, and Council Health Chair Maria del Carmen Arroyo:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Council has worked for well over a decade passing laws to curb smoking in New York City. Smoking rates are lower than ever and New Yorkers are healthier and live longer as a direct result of these laws. One of our greatest achievements in combating the devastating effects of smoking was passing the Smoke-Free Air Act which bans smoking in public places, restaurants and bars and in private office buildings where people work. The Smoke-Free Air Act has saved lives and has even been a boon to business.<\/p>\n
E-cigarettes which contain nicotine, the addictive ingredient in tobacco, as well as other unknown substances now threaten the progress we’ve made and we must take decisive and immediate action.<\/p>\n
Because e-cigarettes are designed to look like cigarettes, they pose a problem to business owners and threaten effective enforcement of the Smoke-Free Air Act.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, we all know that smoking is a particularly difficult habit to kick. Allowing smokers an easy way to maintain their nicotine intake indoors can make quitting even harder. Allowing the use of e-cigarettes in places where smoking is prohibited sends the wrong message to children \u2013 that smoking is safe. The truth is, nicotine is a dangerous, addictive drug that could be a gateway to smoking and a lifetime of chronic health problems and even death. In fact, E-cigarette use nearly doubled among middle and high school students between 2011 and 2012.<\/p>\n
Finally, exposure to the chemicals emitted by E-cigarettes, which are unregulated, poses unknown risks that we simply cannot afford to take. Including E-cigarettes in the Smoke-Free Air Act will save lives.\u201d<\/p>\n
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December 4th Hearing on Proposed Legislation to Prohibit Use of Electronic Cigarettes in Public Spaces<\/p>\n
City Hall, NY \u2013 On Wednesday, December 4th at 10:00am, the Council’s Health Committee will hold a public hearing on legislation sponsored by Council Member James F. Gennaro and Speaker Quinn to include electronic cigarettes in the City’s Smoke-Free Air Act. The bill would prohibit use of e-cigarettes in restaurants, offices, parks, beaches and other public spaces.<\/p>\n
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