Irving (TX) Board of Health considering workplace smoking ban (don't know if it might apply to e-cigs)

[Bill Godshall]

Irving (TX) Board of Health considering workplace smoking ban (don't know if it might apply to e-cigs)
Diners, business owners react to ordinance that would prohibit smoking in most public areas in Irving | Dallasnews.com - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

The news article indicates that the BOH will take input on its yet to be proposed smoking ban at its July 16th meeting. It would be helpful if some vapers attended and urged the BOH to not propose banning e-cig use (since its not smoking).

The Irving BOH minutes indicate that the BOH has been discussing the smoking ban during its last four meetings
The Board of Health
but none of the BOH minutes provide any details of the proposal, or anything that was presented at the meetings.

See June 27 BOH minutes at
http://www.cityofirving.org/city-secretary/agendas-minutes/health/2013/June 27.pdf

 

[TexSG]

See June 27 BOH minutes at
http://www.cityofirving.org/city-secretary/agendas-minutes/health/2013/June 27.pdf

Uh...that's an agenda. The minutes will generally not be published until after the next regular meeting when the board will vote to approve them as written. It should be a simple matter to request a copy of them before then, though. (At worst, a FOIA request might be necessary.)

 

[Bill Godshall]

It would be more helpful if some vapers attended the July 16th meeting (TODAY) to urge the Board of Health to NOT ban the use of e-cigs in any smoking ban.

I suspect that e-cigarette prohibitionists from ACS, AHA, ALA testified at one or more of the Board's previous meetings, urging them to ban vaping in addition to bannning smoking.

If folks wait until after the BOH proposes its new regulation, it may be too late to get it changed (as the BOH will staunchly defend whatever it proposes as necessary for protecting public health).