Senate committee approves tougher regulations on e-cigarettes
A bill that would ban e-cigarettes in indoor public places was approved by a key Senate committee today. The Senate Finance Committee approved the bill 11-8.
The proposal would include electronic cigarettes under the same rules as smoking.
Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, says she's not pushing for an outright ban on e-cigarettes, but she says her bill reflects that there's uncertainty about the health effects of the vapor emitted from the electronic devices.
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"It just asks that the risks that are unknown are not imposed on other people in public indoor places where the public would like the Freedom to Breathe act to continue to extend to this product,” she said.
The bill would also ban the sale of e-cigarettes to minors and keep e-cigs out of schools.
Opponents of the regulations say there's no proof that the vapor is harmful.
"I'm not sure that I'm willing to call this activity smoking at this point and put it into that category when clearly the research has not determined that,” Sen. John Pederson, R-St. Cloud said.
The Minnesota House has been debating a bill that does not place e-cigarettes under clean indoor air act rules.
Gov. Mark Dayton says he supports banning the devices in schools and a ban on sales to minors, but he doesn't want to treat them like cigarettes under the clean indoor air act.