15 - Smoking Ordinance Amendment

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Item No. 15 TO: Mayor, Mayor Pro -Tem & City Council Grayson Path, City Manager FROM: Robert G. Vine, Assistant City Manager Stephanie H. Harris SUBJECT: Smoking Ordinance Amendment DATE: June 13, 2022 BACKGROUND: E -cigarettes and "vaping" have become very popular, especially with young adults and the youth, as an alternative to traditional tobacco cigarettes. Some e -cigarettes contain nicotine and some do not. Current city ordinances do not regulate the use of e -cigarettes. In addition, you may recall a discussion sometime back regarding instituting a variance process by which a business such as Turner Pipe could apply for a variance to the prohibition against smoking in semi -enclosed areas such as Turner Pipe's welding bay that have retractable walls or large garage doors. The impetus for this change was employees of Turner; when Turner drastically reduced its workforce, the matter was placed on the back burner. STATUS OF ISSUE: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), most e -cigarettes contain nicotine, a known neurotoxin considered one of the most highly addictive substances available for public consumption, which can harm the developing adolescent brain (which keeps developing until about the age of 25), including long-lasting changes in brain regions involved in addiction, attention, learning, and memory. While users inhale e -cigarette aerosol into their lungs, bystanders can also breathe in this aerosol when the user exhales it into the air. The FDA has also raised concerns about the epidemic levels of youth use of e -cigarettes, which may lead to the use of conventional tobacco products like combustible cigarettes and has issued a policy prioritizing enforcement against certain unauthorized flavored e -cigarette products that appeal to children.