New York Vaping Ban Counterintuitive To Tobacco Reduction

WASHINGTON, D.C. – New York state signed a bill into law on Monday that prohibits vaping anywhere in which cigarettes are already banned, a measure that is bad for consumers, counter-intuitive to tobacco use reduction, and is based on misinformation.

New York already bans tobacco use in many places such as restaurants, bars, and workplaces, and the new regulation extends the prohibition to e-cigarette products. The new ban, which goes into effect within one month, is based on the misinformation that vaporizers are as harmful as traditional tobacco. Vaporizers are often used as a healthier, non-tobacco alternative to smoking that greatly helps individuals quit traditional tobacco products.

David Clement, North American Affairs Manager of the Consumer Choice Center (CCC), said that the ban is a misguided policy.

"Treating vaping as if its tradition tobacco smoke is going to be a public health and law enforcement nightmare. We know, through peer-reviewed studies, that vaping is 95% less risky than smoking," Clement said.

"If public health is the ultimate goal, why would the state enact legislation that limits vape use and discourages the transition from smoking to vaping? Not only does this prohibition create an obstacle for people quitting smoking, it's also a difficult policy to regulate. With the emergence of smokeless vaporizers, such a ban would be nearly unenforceable."