Kaminsky Fights To Protect New Yorkers From E-Cigarette Smoke

Senator Todd Kaminsky announced that the State Senate passed legislation he co-sponsored (S.2543) to regulate e-cigarette vaping in public areas. The measure aims to protect New Yorkers from second-hand smoke caused by electronic cigarettes, which may contain up to ten times more carcinogens and four times as many toxic metals than found in traditional cigarettes, according to recent studies.

"All New Yorkers deserve clean air and protection from harmful cancer-causing chemicals," said Senator Kaminsky, who serves on the Senate Health Committee. "That’s why I’m proud to have co-sponsored the bipartisan legislation which passed tonight - to regulate vaping in public venues. We cannot risk the health of our children by exposing them to harmful chemicals."

Following the implementation of this law, vaping would be legal only in locations where traditional cigarettes are also allowable for public consumption; effectively eliminating use in most restaurants, bars, and workplaces. Currently, e-cigarettes are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, as they contain nicotine, not tobacco. While smoking traditional cigarettes is forbidden in public, indoor locations pursuant to New York's Clean Indoor Act, electronic cigarettes were not subject to this law. Currently, three states and over 170 municipalities have similar restrictions on the public use of e-cigarettes.