Southern Washington county weighing e-cigarette ban in certain public places

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — The Clark County Board of Health will consider banning electronic cigarette use in public places where tobacco use is not allowed.

The board will hold a public hearing on the proposed ordinance Wednesday. Clark County in southwest Washington is the state's fifth most-populous county.

The ordinance would extend the regulations under the statewide Smoking in Public Places law to include "inhalant delivery systems." Those would be defined as devices used to deliver liquid nicotine, or other liquids or solids, in the form of vapor or aerosol to a person inhaling from the device.

The Smoking in Public Places law prohibits smoking in public places, places of employment and within 25 feet of exits, entrances and windows of buildings. Several other local jurisdictions in Washington have passed ordinances to extend the state regulations to vapor devices.