Clean Indoor Air Act amended to include e-cigarettes
As of November 14, 2020, the use of e-cigarettes will no longer be allowed where smoking is prohibited by Nebraska’s Clean Indoor Air Act.
See these local news stories.
https://nptelegraph.com/lifestyle/e-cigarette-ban-in-public-places-takes-effect-nov-14/article_28392360-164a-11eb-9720-0b5087c42915.html
https://northplattebulletin.com/e-cigarette-ban-in-public-places-takes-effect-nov-14/
As of Nov. 14, the use of electronic cigarettes will be prohibited in stores, offices, restaurants, bars and indoor work areas in Nebraska. The change results from the passage of LB 840 by state senators in this year’s legislative session.
Community Connections Tobacco Free Lincoln County is giving glass clings to businesses to place on their doors and windows, stating “No smoking, including electronic cigarettes.”
LB 840 amends Nebraska’s Clean Indoor Air Act, passed in 2008, to add electronic smoking (vaping) devices to prohibitions on smoking in public places. It includes a narrow exemption for use of e-cigarettes in vape shops.
According to the most recent Adult Tobacco Survey, support for the Clean Indoor Air Act remained strong among Nebraskans. Results of the survey, conducted by University of Nebraska Bureau of Sociological Research, were released in August by Tobacco Free Nebraska.
Support of the law among tobacco users increased from 75.7% in 2016 to 83.2% in 2019. Support by non-tobacco users remained steady at 93.2% and overall support rose slightly from 89.0% to 91.2%.
Of non-tobacco users, 87.3% agreed that restaurants and bars in the state are healthier as a result of the Clean Indoor Air Act, while 74.1% of tobacco-users agreed.
Related to that, 92.8% of non-tobacco users and 73.4% of tobacco users said they request a non-smoking room when staying at a hotel. Although many hotels in the state are completely smoke-free, the law allows hotels to designate up to 20% of their occupancy rooms as smoking areas. That is according to the Tobacco Free Nebraska’s “SmokeFree Nebraska” website.
When the survey was conducted, LB 840 had not yet been introduced into the legislature by Sen. Dan Quick of Grand Island (Dist. 35), and the survey did not ask about support for laws restricting e-cigarette use in public places.
LB 840 passed on a vote of 33 yes, 2 no, 13 present and not voting and 1 excused and not voting. The votes in opposition to the bill were from Mike Groene of North Platte (Dist. 42) and Steve Erdman of Bayard (Dist. 47).
The “No smoking, including electronic cigarettes” clings may be requested by calling Community Connections Tobacco Free Lincoln County at 308-696-3356.