Spring Lake Park to Buck the Trend When it Comes to E-Cig...

Spring Lake Park to Buck the Trend When it Comes to E-Cig Regulations

Across the state, seven counties and 18 cities have chosen to limit electronic cigarette use. Now, one city is likely moving in the opposite direction.

Spring Lake Park is amending its tobacco ordinance. Other places already have; for instance, Minneapolis, Edina, Bloomington and Duluth have all banned using e-cigs indoors. But in Spring Lake Park, the amendment would clarify existing rules and make it clear that e-cigs are allowed.

“If I could take back anything I ever did in my life that was stupid, I’d have never started smoking cigarettes,” city councilman Bob Nelson said. He’s smoked cigarettes for a long time, but by using an e-cigarette, he says he went from a pack a day to a pack a week.

“I’m just hoping that by doing this, it’s used the right way, and it gives people the tools to get off them damn cigarettes,” he said.

That’s not a universal opinion. For example, the Minnesota Department of Health says they have concerns about the marketing of e-cigs to youth. They add that a 2014 survey showed that 28.4 percent of high school students had tried e-cigarettes and 57.4 percent of high school students had seen television ads for e-cigarettes within the last 30 days.

Regardless, the ordinance is good news for stores like Dick’s Vape Shop. They no longer have to worry about their Spring Lake Park store going up in smoke. Of course, their other locations could still be a different story.

“It’s a bit of a load off my shoulders to not have to worry so much about Spring Lake Park,” Manager Mike Huber said. “But I mean that’s … the battle doesn’t quite end there.”

Nelson says it’s very likely the Spring Lake Park ordinance will pass; that could happen as soon as next month.

http://ift.tt/1EHZUOv May 14, 2015 at 11:42AM GrimmGreen.com http://ift.tt/177rnJE http://ift.tt/eA8V8J