City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. has introduced a bill (below) that would ban the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors and prohibit them from being used in certain public places—just like real cigarettes! And you can thank some Astoria tobacco shops for selling them to minors, because according to the Gotham Gazette that's where Vallone first noticed the products. “People should start getting the word out there about these cigarettes,” he said. “It’s absolutely not a healthy activity."
The devices, which emit a smokeless nicotine vapor and often come in different flavors, have come under scrutiny recently since they carry no warning labels, and you have to dig deep to find any warnings on their websites. E-cigarette company No. 7 writes in their FAQ section, "E-Cigarettes have not been proven to be a smoking cessation device and is not sold or marketed as such." Buy why check the FAQs? A man dressed like a doctor testifies on the front page, "I not only use a No. 7 personally, but recommend it to my patients. Hard to argue with 4,000 less chemicals." E-cigarette company Smoking Everywhere writes, "Smoking Everywhere E-Cigarette has been tested and the cartridges have been toxicologically tested and it contains no known ingredients are considered cancer-causing agents."
Businesses caught selling e-cigarettes to minors would receive a $500 fine, and up to a $2,000 fine if the law is violated three times in two years. Those caught smoking e-cigarettes in prohibited places would be fined up to $400 for a first-time offense, and up to $2,000 for three offenses in one year. Vallone says he is confident other council members will "overwhelmingly support the bill." Probably because there are no e-smokers on the council.
