City of Houston bans e-cigarettes and vaping in public spaces |

Vaping and the use of electronic cigarettes is now banned in public places across the city of Houston after the City Council unanimously approved an amendment to its existing ordinance on Wednesday.

According to Houston Public Media, the city’s “existing regulations prohibit smoking in enclosed public spaces or workplaces within 25 feet of a building entrance or exit, outdoor arenas, and public transit stops,” and now “those regulations are being extended to electronic smoking devices, too.” which own electronic cigarettes and cigars, e-cigarettes and any other devices that use vapors or aerosol liquids.”

The change was originally “proposed by the Houston Health Department last year in response to a growing scientific consensus about the dangers of vaping,” according to the Houston Chronicle. They are now officially in force.

The newspaper reported that the approved amendment “adds all types of e-cigarette devices — including vape pens, electronic pipes and hookahs — to the smoking ban, which excludes cigarettes from enclosed public places and seating areas and within 25 feet of any building.” Those new rules went into effect immediately after Wednesday’s vote, according to the Houston Chronicle. They do not apply to shisha bars or other places where smoking is already permitted by law.

The council heard testimonies from various people warning of the dangers of vaping, which is often touted as a safer alternative to cigarettes, despite little evidence that it is actually safer.

Houston Public Media reported that during a public comment session before the council on Tuesday, “Dr. Lindy McGee, a pediatrician at Texas Children’s Hospital and an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine, said she’s concerned about the increase in vaping among her patients. She believed that e-cigarette companies intentionally market to teenagers.”

“Through their use of social media, youthfully enticing flavors and highly addictive nicotine, they’ve hooked this new generation to their product,” McGee said, as quoted by the outlet.

The Houston Chronicle said that City Council members “touted the public health benefits of regulating e-cigarettes, which are filled with a tobacco-derived liquid nicotine that becomes an aerosol when inhaled.”

“Ultra-fine particles released by the vapor and toxins from devices’ heating elements can increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, federal studies suggest, even when using nicotine-free vape liquid,” the Chronicle reported .

The use of electronic cigarette devices has exploded in recent years, especially among young people. Earlier this month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released results from the 2021 National Youth Tobacco Survey (NYTS).

The survey found that “e-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product” among high school and middle school students in the United States over the past year.

“E-cigarettes were the most commonly used tobacco product currently, cited by 2.06 million (7.6%) middle and high school students, followed by cigarettes (410,000; 1.5%), cigars (380,000; 1.4 %), smokeless tobacco (240,000; 1.4%). 0.9%), hookahs (220,000; 0.8%) and nicotine pouches (200,000; 0.8%),” according to the survey.

Of the students who reported having used a tobacco product in the past 30 days, 39.4% reported using e-cigarettes, compared to 18.9% for cigarettes and 20.7% for cigars.

“Among all students, perceptions of ‘no’ or ‘little’ harm from intermittent tobacco use were highest for e-cigarettes (16.6%) and lowest for cigarettes (9.6%),” the accompanying paper said Analysis of the survey.

Almost 58% of those who used e-cigarettes said they first tried them because a friend had used a product that sparked their interest.