The New York City Council today voted to ban e-cigarettes in every location where regular cigarettes are already prohibited, including restaurants, offices and beaches.
The ruling will push "vapers," as e-cigarette users are known, into designated usage areas. It will also require all "no smoking" signs be updated to include "no e-cigarette use." The ruling comes on the heels of a contentious city council debate over the electronic devices.
See also: The Rise Of E-Smoke
"For the New York City Council to take it upon themselves, based solely on what appears to be unscientific evidence, is disappointing, and I think a disservice to adult smokers," said Miguel Martin, president of e-cigarette company Logic.
Much research is still needed to determine the effects of e-cigarettes, which let users inhale smokeless vapor that wafts from steamed, nicotine-infused "juice" heated by the battery-powered device. However some researchers have suggested that the vapor contains dangerous chemicals that can harm those who inhale them secondhand.
"This is a commonsense step forward to protect the health of New Yorkers, and we applaud the City Council for putting public health first," Mike Seilback, vice president of public policy and communications for American Lung Association of the Northeast, told Mashable in an email.
However, the studies on e-cigarettes contradict each other. With a lack of evidence and no advice as of yet from the Food and Drug Administration, city councils across the country are making their own decisions about the electronic substitute.
Chicago's city council decided against lumping e-cigarettes in with their light-and-smoke counterparts, while Boston recently decided to allow disallow e-cigarette use at offices. After Thursday's decision in New York City, e-cigarette advocates fear a domino effect.
"I think it will have a big effect on cities," Gregory Conley, an adviser to the Consumer Advocates for Smoke-Free Alternatives Association, told Mashable. "It makes the likelihood of Chicago and Los Angeles passing their bans higher."
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Image: Will Fenstermaker