Columbus leaders to consider ban on e-cigarettes

Columbus city leaders are being asked to ban vaping in public places and businesses in the same way cigarettes have been banned.

Kylee Jones, tobacco awareness coordinator with Healthy Communities at Columbus Regional Health made a presentation to Columbus City Council this week, asking for the amendment. She says that use of e-cigarettes is skyrocketing among the youth in our community and the devices are possibly as harmful to public health as actual cigarettes.

The request will now go the mayor’s ordinance advisory committee for consideration and could come back to the council soon for a vote. Council members generally seemed in favor of the change when it was presented Tuesday.