New York: Vaping is now officially banned in indoor spaces

Last June, lawmakers in Albany voted to add vaping products to the state Clean Indoor Air Act, hence banning the devices from places where cigarettes are already banned, such as bars and restaurants. After four months, on the 23rd of October, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed a bill passing this ban into law, which went into effect last Wednesday.

“These products are marketed as a healthier alternative to cigarettes, but the reality is they also carry long-term risks to the health of users and those around them,” said Cuomo in a statement last month. “This measure closes another dangerous loophole in the law, creating a stronger, healthier New York for all.”

This bill was only one of a series of motions against vaping passed in the state. Last July, Gov. Cuomo signed a measure that bans vaping in all public and private schools, whilst in October Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), introduced a bill to ban the sale and distribution of flavoured e-cigarette liquids.

“Although e-cigarette use is promoted as a healthier alternative to tobacco use by the vaping industry, research has shown that they may carry long-term health risks for users and those exposed to secondhand emissions,” said State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker.

Tobacco regulations should be relative to the products’ risks

On the other hand public health experts have been warning against the dangers of maintaining such an attitude towards the products, since countless studies have indicated that the electronic devices are significantly safer than their deadly combustible counterparts. Implementing measures that do not differentiate between e-cigarettes and regular cigarettes will send the wrong message to the public, as the latest research has found that millions of lives could be saved across the US alone if smokers had to switch to vaping.

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