Philly City Council Bans E-Cigarette Use in Public Spaces
Were you an e-cigarette user who was happy you could vape in your favorite non-smoking bar? Right: I used past tense, because City Council unanimously voted to ban e-cigarette use in public spaces Thursday afternoon. E-Cigarettes will now be treated like plain old regular cigarettes — you can’t smoke them in public, and you can’t buy them if you’re under 18.
The Inquirer notes today’s hearing featured an e-cigarette advocate vaping right on the floor of City Council!
Gregory Conley, a research fellow at The Heartland Institute, used his e-cigarette while testifying in Council Thursday. No vapor could be seen. “Now, did I just use my electronic cigarette?” he asked. “You have no hope of enforcing this bill, so you’re just passing something for the sake of passing it.”
The bills will go into effect if Mayor Nutter signs them. No word if the pope weighed in on the matter.