Cigarettes have been regulated indoors in Alabama for more than two decades. Vaping, which only became mainstream in the last few years, is just now catching up.
DOTHAN, Ala. - A new law taking effect Oct. 1 bans vaping in most indoor public spaces across Alabama, ending a legal gray area that has existed since e-cigarettes became mainstream.
Gov. Kay Ivey signed Senate Bill 9 into law, adding e-cigarettes and vapes to the Vivian Davis Figures Clean Indoor Air Act. The law has banned smoking in most enclosed public spaces since 2003.
“I think one of the big misconceptions is that vaping is just water vapor,” said Dr. Walt Doty, a pulmonologist with Pulmonary Associates. “There’s a lot of other things that are in vaping smoke. Formaldehyde, there can be metals, things like that. ” Doty said while the secondhand risk from vaping is lower than cigarette smoke, the risk is still real, especially for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
“In a perfect world, we would have you inhaling only air into your lungs,” he said. “That’s what we really want. That’s what our bodies were designed to do. ”Violations carry a $25 fine, but enforcement will largely fall on businesses themselves.
“Our stance is going to be if we’re called about it,” said Sheriff Eric Blankenship of Henry County. “We’re not going out actively searching restaurants or business to see if somebody’s doing it. ” That means if a restaurant or retail store posts a no-smoking sign, vaping falls under that same rule. Cigarettes have been regulated indoors in Alabama for more than two decades.
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Alabama Vaping Restrictions Alabama Vaping Policies Alabama Vaping New Law Vivian Davis Figures Clean Indoor Air Act Cigarettes Vapes Alabama Pulmonary Associates Dr. Walt Doty
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