No More 'Vaping' on Campus; City Bans E-Cigarette Use at Community Colleges

The Los Angeles Community College District added its nine campuses to the growing list of places in the Los Angeles area where electronic cigarette use is restricted, district officials said Monday.

The district's board of trustees last week voted unanimously to restrict the activity, referred to as "vaping," the same way it does tobacco smoking on campus -- by limiting it to a maximum of four places per campus.

LACCD spokesman Steve Springer said the areas where vaping and smoking are allowed varies at each campus.

The district's non-smoking policy, which was amended to apply to "comparable, personal, vapor-generating devices," went into effect immediately following the board's vote, Springer said.

Board vice president Scott Svonkin, who proposed the change, described e- cigarette use as a "public health crisis" and a "growing epidemic among young people."

"This action will limit the exposure of the students, faculty and staff on our campuses to these cigarettes," he said. "No one should be forced to breathe the vapor e-cigarettes emit. We are proud to lead the effort to protect those we serve."

Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that allow its users to inhale nicotine-laced liquid as vapor.

The Los Angeles City Council this month voted to prohibit "vaping" at restaurants, bars, nightclubs and other public spaces, with officials saying there is not enough data available to determine if the chemicals in the liquids are harmful to those who breathe in the vapors second-hand.

—City News Service