FORT WAYNE, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - Should Fort Wayne join Indianapolis in banning electronic cigarettes right along with traditional smokes?
Indianapolis has been the scene of recent debate after the city passed a stricter smoking ban than the state wide ban by adding the electronic smoking devices to the list of items people can't use in most public places.
City Councilman Dr. John Crawford was in favor of Fort Wayne's 2007 smoking ban, but isn't as eager to ban electronic cigarettes.
Crawford says they are far less harmful than real cigarettes and pose very little second hand smoke risk. However, he says they should already be regulated by the FDA given the chemicals they contain. Electronic cigarettes commonly produce a water and nicotine vapor.
The owner of Wrigley Field Bar and Grill, Danny White, says he wasn't a fan of Fort Wayne's smoking ban when it first passed, but now he can see the health benefits.
White says not very many of his customers use electronic cigarettes, but the ones who do use them as tool to stop smoking completely. He says he also has to pay closer attention when someone "appears" to be smoking inside the restaurant, because it's sometimes hard to tell the difference between what's real and what isn't.
While he hasn't had any customer complaints yet, White says he can see where a rule applying to electronic cigarettes might be useful. "I think people realize what they are, that it is vapor, but parents don't want their kids seeing people smoke."
White says that's why he thinks the bar is the best place for people using electronic cigarettes. Even if it's not part of a local ordinance, White says it's something he may consider implementing as a business owner.
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