Chicago E-Cigarette Ban Blocked by ‘Surprise Opposition’

The Chicago Sun-Times reports
that “a surprise outpouring of opposition” has blocked passage of a

bill supported by Mayor Rahm Emanuel that would have treated
electronic cigarettes like tobacco products. Among other things,
that would have meant a ban on vaping in bars, restaurants, and
other “public places”—a measure New York City also is
considering. Opponents of the Chicago ordinance noted the
dearth of evidence that e-cigarettes pose a threat to bystanders
(or to vapers themselves) and argued that it was unfair to pressure
smokers into quitting (through a new tax hike, among other
policies) and then attack a product that could help them do so.

“We’re punishing a group of people for trying not to smoke,”
Alderwoman Leslie Hairston said at meeting of the Chicago City
Council’s health committee yesterday. “You can’t have it both ways.
You can’t on one day say, ‘We’re going to tax the heck out of
cigarettes,’ then the next day [say], ‘For those of you who can’t
afford it and decide you want to smoke vapor, we’re going to decide
you can’t do that, either.'” Another member of the city council,
Brendan Reilly, took a puff on an e-cigarette during the meeting,
saying he is in midst of switching from smoking to
vaping. 

[Thanks to David Wegener for the tip.]