During a March 30 meeting, Houston City Council unanimously approved an ordinance banning the use of electronic smoking devices in places where cigarette smoking is already prohibited.
Included in the ban are electronic cigarettes, electronic cigars, electronic cigarillos, electronic pipes, electronic hookahs, vaping devices or any other product that uses aerosol liquid or vapor.
“There is misleading info that vaping is a safe alternative to smoking. However, vaping, even without nicotine, can be harmful to the body,” District I Council Member Robert Gallegos said at the March 30 meeting. “To have this going on in restaurants and bars is a public health issue.”
According to the ordinance, smoking is prohibited in enclosed public workspaces or public places; within 25 feet of a building’s entrance or exit doors; in outdoor arenas and outdoor seating areas where there are public spectators; and at covered bus stops and light rail stops.
The ordinance allows smoking in private residences as long as the residence does not also serve as a child or adult day care or a health facility.
During the council’s March 29 public session, Dr. Lindy McGee, a general pediatrician with Texas Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, said she was particularly concerned about the use of electronic smoking devices by young people.
McGee said she has seen rising levels of vaping among teenagers as well as increasing signs of exposure to secondhand smoke in her younger patients.
“E-cigarettes are not safe,” McGee said. “E-cigarette use should not be allowed in public places. It is dangerous for the people who are exposed to it, and it is associated with increased teen use.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the nicotine found in electronic cigarette devices can be harmful for a developing adolescent brain, which does not fully develop until age 25. The implications of vaping for those under age 25 could lead to long-lasting effects, such as issues with addiction, attention, learning and memory, according to the CDC.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has prioritized preventative efforts to help curb what they describe as “epidemic” levels of youth who are using e-cigarette products. Past preventative measures have included a ban on flavored e-cigarette products that are designed to appeal to children.
In 2019, the age for buying tobacco products was raised in Texas from 18 to 21 in part to help combat the rise in vaping among teenagers.