Williamson County Commissioners approved a clarification of the countys Tobacco Free Policy on Feb. 4 to include electronic cigarette use on county property.
Beginning Feb. 11, e-cigarettes will fall under the same ban as cigarettes and chewing tobacco in county offices and on county-owned or -leased property, including vehicles. Parks and county roads are exempted from the ban, said John Sneed, senior director of emergency services.
The decision to include e-cigarettes is based on information from the Food and Drug Administration regarding the hazards of e-cigarette vapor.
The last article I read from the FDA said they were concerned [e-cigarettes] were as carcinogenic as tobacco cigarettes, Sneed said. You dont get the tar necessarily, but theres a huge amount of vapor. Thats not necessarily what our employees want to have next to them.
