Contra Costa County
The lack of updates today has been primarily due to having been sitting in the Contra Costa County Boardroom all day. Unfortunately, despite a valiant effort from a dedicated, intelligent, and well-spoken group of vapers, Ordinance 2013-10 passed today with a vote of 4-1, with only District III Supervisor Mary Piepho voting against the measure.
Several vapers were on hand to tell their stories of how e-cigarettes helped them quit, to talk about how visibility would be a good thing, how e-cigarettes are ecologically friendly, and how there is no danger to bystanders, but in the end, the Board decided to enact the measure.
The reasons cited seemed awfully flimsy for a measure that would restrict the personal freedoms of Contra Costa County residents in their own living rooms. Board Chairman Federal Glover expressed concern that seeing someone else’s vapor might cause someone who was trying to quit to want a cigarette, for example, ignoring the testimony of several people that seeing someone else vaping is actually what got many of us finally be able to quit.
Frustratingly, it was also said that the ordinance would not restrict anyone’s behavior in their own homes. This, however, is plainly untrue, as the ordinance specifically prohibits e-cigarette use in housing of more then one unit built after January of this year.
This measure passes just as the state of California is considering similar measures state-wide. California’s SB 648 would ban e-cigarettes anywhere cigarettes are prohibited, permit landlords to prohibit vaping, and declare e-cigarettes “a hazard to the health of the general public.” The deadline for submission of testimony on the state measure is tomorrow, April 10th. More information on how to fight it can be found at CASAA’s website.
Contra Costa County Board of Directors Passes Ordinance 2013-10
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