Lakeway officials vote to include vaping in city’s existing smoking ban

Following a robust discussion on the matter during a Jan. 13 special meeting, Lakeway officials voted to amend the city smoking ordinance to include a ban on the use of e-cigarettes in public places throughout the city.

City Council voted on the ordinance amendment during its Jan. 21 regular meeting.

The new ordinance verbiage includes a vaping ban in areas of the city where smoking is banned, stating: “Smoke or smoking also includes the inhaling, exhaling, emitting of smoke or vapor, or any other use of an e-cigarette as defined by Tex. Health & Safety Code Ann. § 161.081(1-a), as amended.”

During the Jan. 13 discussion, Council Member Laurie Higginbotham said that through her involvement with the Young Men’s Service League and her two school-age children, she has been hearing more and more about how ubiquitous the issue of underage vaping has become.

"Administrators estimate that as much [as] 50%-70% of kids at Lake Travis High School have at least tried vaping," Higginbotham said, adding that she surveyed students at the high school, and responses indicated students are, in fact, experimenting with vaping in alarming numbers.