Bessemer (AL) City Council to consider indoor smoking ban, don't know if it includes e-cigs

[Bill Godshall]

Bessemer (near Birmingham) City Council to consider complete smoking ban tonight.
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2012/08/bessemer_council_to_consider_c.html

Don't know if it includes e-cigarettes, as the city's website provides no info on city council (other than contact info)
http://www.bessemeral.org/bessemeral/CityGovernment/CityCouncil/CityCouncilOverview/tabid/97/Default.aspx

 

[TennDave]

I searched too and could not find anything about e-cigs so I doubt that they were included.
However, the outdoor ordinance did pass- you can only smoke in your car and in your home or $50 fine the first time.
The blogs about this mainly seemed to say it was a good thing to do but it would be unenforceable as they are not able to enforce other laws already on the books there.

Bessemer council passes comprehensive ban on smoking in public | al.com

 

[VapApe]

Yes its a lot easier to pass a law than enforce it.
But what the heck its only your tax dollars at wast.

 

[Bill Godshall]

The vast majority of news stories on smoking bans that also ban e-cig use never mention that e-cigs are included in the law.

But that's because many city council members aren't aware unless/until a few of us discover it, and then urge them to amend that provision out of the bill. Even then, most news stories don't mention that e-cigs are included.

The good news is that when the news reports don't mention the inclusion of e-cigs in smoking bans, nobody knows e-cigarette use is also banned, and nobody complies with that provision of the law.

 

[VapApe]

Sounds like a zen riddle, if there is a ban on the books and no one knows about it, is there a ban?

 

[CES]

Wow...i wish i'd seen this thread earlier. I'd have tried to make it to the meeting.

most of the ordinances that have come up here recently been based on the antz sample legislation and have included e-cigs. In Birmingham we got e-cigs excluded, but not in Vestavia (another local city)

Then again, i was recently in Savannah, and inconspicuously vaped pretty much where i wanted to - so if no one knows a ban exists, it's not much of a ban,

 

[CES]

Here's a link to the code they have on the Bessemer municipal code website...but i don't think they've posted the updated version- from all of the exceptions i think its the old 2007 version

Municode

Bessemer, Alabama, Code of Ordinances >> - CODE OF ORDINANCES >> Chapter 62 - HEALTH AND SANITATION >> ARTICLE III. - SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES >>

 

[VapApe]

From what I could tell it just states smoking and nothing else. So that could be some good news.

 

[CES]

i'm fairly sure that i linked the old one...it still allows for designated smoking rooms in hotels.... no luck at all finding the new one.

But once it comes into effect the link should enable us/me to find the new ordinance