Concerned about the trend of youth in the city turning to vaping – the use of e-cigarettes – the South Portland City Council approved banning the practice on public property during a first reading last week.

Councilors also want to add a ban on both smoking and vaping at school bus stops, they said at their Oct. 3. meeting.

The new ordinance, if ultimately passed, would ban e-cigarettes in public places where tobacco use is already prohibited and add school bus stops to the list as well. Smoking is banned at city bus stops and at city parks, beaches, sports fields, along the Greenbelt Walkway and at school playgrounds.

Councilor Claude Morgan suggested adding school bus stops to the list of places where both vaping and smoking tobacco would be banned. The hope with the added restrictions, he said, is to “give those young set of lungs a good start and a good chance in life.”

Kevin Adams, the city’s director of parks, recreation and waterfront, and Jana Richards, the public health coordinator for the Opportunity Alliance, made the proposal to ban vaping at a recent council workshop.

E-cigarettes are reusable devices that vaporize flavored liquid instead of burning tobacco, according to material provided to the council. While the vapor from e-cigarettes smells different from cigarette smoke, it can still contain nicotine and other harmful substances found in regular cigarettes.

Last year the Portland City Council took a similar step and banned vaping and the use of e-cigarettes in public places.

– Alex Acquisto, Sun Media Wire

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