Vaping is expected to be added to Athens-Clarke County’s indoor smoking ordinance at the beginning of August.
With some exceptions, smoking is already prohibited within all indoor places of employment in the county.
At a meeting in May, Lauren Bracci from the American Heart Association spoke to the Legislative Review Committee about why e-cigarettes should be included in the ordinance, explaining that there is no safe level of secondhand exposure.
“Aerosol is what comes off an e-cigarette, it’s not a vapor, it’s not a harmless water vapor, but second-hand aerosol contains heavy metals, cancer-causing toxic chemicals, and fine particulate that can worsen heart and lung disease,” Bracci said.
Following the committee’s unanimous vote, the commission moved the item to their consent agenda on July 18. This means the measure is expected to pass along with other non-controversial items.
The commission’s vote is scheduled for August 1.
