The vaping boom is increasingly a bust with state governments. New York State has outlawed e-cigarettes in indoor public spaces, joining a growing number of states across the country.
The New York ban goes into effect in 30 days and will ban vaping in restaurants, bars, offices and parks, among other common areas, the New York Times reports. The statewide ban comes four years after New York City prohibited the devices.
New York becomes the 11th state to enact a statewide ban on public vaping. California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oregon, Utah and Vermont all have similar laws. Several others have partial bans on vaping in areas like public education facilities and state and local government buildings. And many major cities, including Boston, New Orleans and Chicago have complete bans on the books as well.
E-cigs are a $2.5 billion business, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the global market is expected to reach as high as $32 billion by 2021. But the health risks of the devices are still largely unknown. That hasn’t stopped the FDA from treating vaping products just like cigarettes, forcing manufacturers to seek FDA marketing approval for the products.
The impact of vaping on people nearby is also unclear. The U.S. Surgeon General noted in a December 2016 report, however, that the aerosol from vapes is “not harmless” and can contain potentially harmful chemicals, including nicotine, heavy metals and tiny particles.
