Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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Electronic cigarettes will no longer be allowed at Hennepin County facilities where Minnesota's Clean Indoor Air Act applies.

 
The Hennepin County Board voted Tuesday to amend the smoke-free ordinance and include an Electronic Delivery Devices (EDD), or e-cigarette, ban everywhere smoking is prohibited.

 
Changes will take effect March 10. They are more restrictive than state law, according to a memo published by the county.

Commissioner Marion Greene, who introduced the measure, said a majority of the board felt a lack of research on the health risks of e-cigarette vapor made the ban necessary.


"E-cigs are pretty untested and very much unregulated," Greene said. "There is no way to know how much nicotine is being inhaled during use or how much nicotine somebody might be experiencing in second hand smoke."


Sampling e-cigarettes at Hennepin County licensed shops will still be allowed. But the ordinance doesn't keep local jurisdictions from authorizing more stringent policies that ban sampling, too.

 
Overall, the measure enables local jurisdictions to enact more, but not less, stringent policies regarding e-cigarettes.


State law prohibits e-cigarette use in some schools, universities, government and health care facilities, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.

Health

Riham Feshir

Author

The Hennepin County Board voted Tuesday to amend the smoke-free ordinance and include an e-cigarette ban everywhere smoking is prohibited.

Hennepin County to ban e-cigarette use in most public places

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