NYC To Ban E-Cigs In Public Places

Via press release:

Today – at the final meeting of the 2010-2013 legislative session– the City Council will vote to regulate electronic cigarettes, commonly known as “e-cigarettes,” by amending the Smoke-Free Air Act (SFAA) to prohibit the use of these devices in all areas where smoking is prohibited. One the City’s greatest achievements in combating the devastating effects of smoking is the Smoke-Free Air Act which bans smoking in public places, restaurants, bars and in private office buildings where people work. E-cigarettes threaten to undermine enforcement of the Smoke-Free Air Act because many brands are designed to look like cigarettes, and to be used just like them, which can lead to confusion and confrontation. Additionally, using e-cigarettes in places where smoking is permitted threatens to renormalize smoking in these places.

Earlier this month 200 e-cig users sat in on a City Council hearing on the issue and "vaped" for the entire session.