New Colorado Vaping Law Is Now In Effect

July 1st is first-day outlawing e-cigarettes in public buildings.

Colorado lawmakers have amended the Colorado Indoor Air Act prohibiting the use of electronic cigarettes inside most public buildings. Colorado banned smoking inside public spaces in 2006. Now e-cigs will join the ranks of old fashioned cigarettes and marijuana that was added to the law back in 2013.

I'm not a smoker so these laws don't impact my daily behavior. However, I was under the impression that vapor was what's exhaled while using these devices and hence the second-hand 'smoke' wasn't a factor? E-cigarettes don't contain tobacco and don't involve combustion so ash, tar, and carbon monoxide are non-factors. If that's the case then why are they being forced 'outside' too? Yes, nicotine is present in the 'juice' but that's only consumed by the user.

The new law will require e-cig users to join their smoking counterparts to gather away from the entrances of public buildings as well. The new law has moved the distance away from the door from 15 feet away to 25 feet.

Another motivating factor in amending the Indoor Air Act was the hope to curb vape usage by high school students. Teen use of e-cigs has been a bigger problem in Colorado than other parts of the country. Some studies show that vaping among teens is twice the national average here compared to other states.

Credit: KKTV11News