By Sallie James
To vape or not to vape? That was the question.
The answer came with a 3-2 vote in February when Boca Raton City Council members tabled a proposal to ban electronic cigarette use in public places, citing concern over a lack of medical information.
“I really think there needs to be a statewide uniform system of regulation, rather than having a patchwork of municipal ordinances,” said council member Robert Weinroth, at a Feb. 24 meeting.
Deputy Mayor Constance Scott proposed the ban, citing concern over carcinogenic byproducts and unpleasant odors after she caught a whiff of someone “vaping.” She wanted the city to treat “vaping” the same way it treats smoking, and ban the practice in workplaces, parks and on the beach.
Scott said city action on the matter would have demonstrated Boca Raton’s willingness to exercise home rule to enforce an ordinance that would “protect not those who choose to vape but those who choose not to vape.”
But her proposal went up in smoke after several business owners and residents spoke out against the proposed ban.
“This is good because now we can wait and see if the FDA regulates it,” said Nick Trovedi, who owns The Vapor Club in Boca Raton. “The FDA hasn’t classified the product as harmful to human health.”
Council member Scott Singer said he tabled the measure because he couldn’t find any policy statements by the American Medical Association that said e-cigarette usage was harmful.
“The medical community is split on this. The record is not thorough yet,” Singer said. “If it were a bit more fleshed out I would feel more comfortable here.”
Business owner Karl Dickey said he believes it should be a business owner’s right to decide if someone can vape inside their business, not something decided by city officials.
“It would be good if the city supported the business community,” Dickey said. He doesn’t believe the state Legislature will take further action on the matter.
Mayor Susan Haynie, who voiced support for the measure, said she spoke with a restaurant owner who supported an e-cigarette ban and said he believed most other restaurant owners would feel the same way.
“People find it to be disruptive in restaurants,” Haynie said.
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