Wheaton council considers regulating e-cigarettes

E-cigarettes soon will likely be regulated in Wheaton in the same way as other tobacco products.

City council members this week discussed whether electronic nicotine delivery systems, also known as vaporizers or electronic cigarettes, should be regulated same as traditional cigarettes.

E-cigarettes do not contain tar or produce a combustible smoke. They often mimic the look of a tobacco cigarette, with a plastic or glass rod, and create a liquid-based mist that delivers the nicotine, flavor and other chemicals to the user through inhalation.

The state prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to minors, but the Illinois Smoke Free Act, which bans smoking inside public spaces, does not apply to e-cigarettes.

City Manager Don Rose said the city has recently received inquiries about businesses that want to open primarily to sell e-cigarettes.

"If we want some control over it, it might behoove us to, at a minimum, modify our existing tobacco ordinance to include this in the definition of a tobacco product," he said, adding that other municipalities, such as Naperville, have recently done the same.

Council members agreed they would like to move forward with such an an amendment to the city code. There was also a consensus that the devices should be banned in public spaces, same as traditional cigarettes.

Councilman John Prendiville and Councilwoman Suzanne Fitch said they were fine waiting to make a decision about allowing e-cigarettes in indoor public spaces, but other councilmen said they would like to go ahead with that regulation.

"I think we should treat it as we do any other tobacco product," Councilman Phil Suess said.

Councilman Thor Saline added that e-cigarettes can be used to take in other inhalants, like alcohol or other drugs, and he felt it was best to put regulations on their sale and use.

Councilman John Rutledge said even though there aren't conclusive research studies yet about the health effects e-cigarettes have on others, he would support banning them from public spaces now.

"It seems to me that if we get further information later (about the effects) it would be easier to relax than to tighten (regulations)," he said.

The city council will vote on the regulations at a future meeting.