BUFFALO, N.Y. — Scientific study about the long-term health impacts of using e-cigarettes, often called vaping, is still largely in its infancy.
"I think they're just beginning to know that there are some harmful effects of breathing in the vapor," Tobacco-Free WNY Director Anthony Billoni said.
New York State is taking a "better safe than sorry" stance when it comes to using the products indoors.
"It just brings into alignment, makes consistent tobacco and vaping e-cigarettes, so now where you're not able to smoke, you're also not able to vape," State Sen. Chris Jacobs, R-Buffalo, said.
Starting Wednesday, e-cigs are officially banned along with tobacco products in areas covered by the state's Clean Indoor Air Act.
"We don't believe that anyone should have to inhale someone else's smoke, whether it's tobacco smoke or e-cigarettes. And this will really take a big step in making sure that happens in any county throughout the state of New York," Jacobs said.
Many municipalities across New York have already passed similar laws, including Erie County more than two years ago.
"We know that if we get changes on the local level, it's certainly going to percolate up to the state at some point," Billoni said.
Tobacco-Free Western New York said the measure should eliminate the annoyance of having to breath in somebody's second-hand vapors in a public place. More importantly, the organization said, it denormalizes a habit that's become very popular with a younger generation.
"The challenge we have with it is that kids that would maybe have never tried combustible cigarettes are ingesting nicotine and that would lead to an addiction to nicotine," Billoni said.
Jacobs said the legislature has passed several bills aimed at curbing e-cigarette use by children.
"Vaping is becoming a gateway into smoking cigarettes, and that's really something I think we'll focus on moving forward in the session," Jacobs said.
He said the ban is not meant as a deterrent to people who are using the product to help them stop smoking tobacco.