OKC City Council Passes Anti-Tobacco/Vaping Ordinance

[BBatesokc]

News 9 (2/18/2020) OKC City Council Passes Ordinance to Ban Vaping in Public Places

Headline from News9 is (unshockingly) a bit misleading. The ordinance doesn't just target "vaping", but encompasses all tobacco in public. Along with anything being vaped.

I personally am in favor of this. I hate the smell of cigarette and cigar smoke and find vaping equally off-putting.

[BoulderSooner]

unless state law changed at some point (I don't think it has) i don't think this is inforceable ..

[BBatesokc]

unless state law changed at some point (I don't think it has) i don't think this is inforceable ..

Didn't the legislature already address this and decided to allow cities to create their own regulations? Like 2012 or something?

[BoulderSooner]

Didn't the legislature already address this and decided to allow cities to create their own regulations? Like 2012 or something?

i thought that failed ...

okc and norman were on record back then says they would ban smoking right away when they were allowed


so i am not sure what has changed

[bombermwc]

I'm all for it. Keep it out of the public placed and keep it in their car/home. We shouldn't all have to suffer through that crap just because they want to. I shouldn't have to deal with second hand smoke or vaping because you want to light it up. Keep it in your own space or keep it out of mine.

[BoulderSooner]

I'm all for it. Keep it out of the public placed and keep it in their car/home. We shouldn't all have to suffer through that crap just because they want to. I shouldn't have to deal with second hand smoke or vaping because you want to light it up. Keep it in your own space or keep it out of mine.

i very much agree with this .. and i think in bars it is very much a workers rights issue

[Pete]

I simply can't believe in this day and age -- where tons of other states (and many countries) have already very successfully dealt with this -- that Oklahoma allows smoking in bars and 21+ places.

In fact, the state specifically won't allow cities to ban it on their own.

The lobbying agencies for bars and restaurants swear up and down it will hurt their business but that absolutely has not been the case elsewhere.

This issue has been settled a long time ago but like almost everything else here, we are 20 years behind the times. And that's due to our state legislature, of course.

[mkjeeves]

I don't typically go to bars much but when I do now as an ex-smoker of many years, I call ahead and ask if they allow smoking. In my limited experience, it's much less frequent to get a full yes answer. The last one was 51st Street Speakeasy and the answer was they allow it in the gameroom upstairs. I went. Did not have any issue with air quality downstairs.

But the odd part, almost always it seems like they interpret the question as coming from a smoker who might not come to the place if they can't smoke, when the opposite is true. I'm not going to a smoking bar. Lungs can't handle it.

[Pete]

Even in non-smoking places, if there is any outdoor space the smokers take it over.

Most states have banned smoking on patios for this very reason.



And I've said this before, but when California initiated its ban in the 90's, it completely changed behavior. After a short adjustment period, you just didn't see young people smoking any more. And that's because they couldn't get started hanging out in bars, so they never got addicted. Smoking rates went way down as a result.

The state spends millions on anti-smoking ads, mainly due to the enormous cost to the healthcare system. Yet, it allows people to smoke in bars and restaurants and in fact prohibits municipalities from instituting their own bans. It's insane. And of course, Oklahoma has one of the highest smoking rates in the country at over 20% (!!!) of adults.

[HangryHippo]

When I was in California late last year, people were vaping EVERYWHERE. The s**t is ubiquitous now.

[onthestrip]

Even in non-smoking places, if there is any outdoor space the smokers take it over.

Most states have banned smoking on patios for this very reason.



And I've said this before, but when California initiated its ban in the 90's, it completely changed behavior. After a short adjustment period, you just didn't see young people smoking any more. And that's because they couldn't get started hanging out in bars, so they never got addicted. Smoking rates went way down as a result.

The state spends millions on anti-smoking ads, mainly due to the enormous cost to the healthcare system. Yet, it allows people to smoke in bars and restaurants and in fact prohibits municipalities from instituting their own bans. It's insane. And of course, Oklahoma has one of the highest smoking rates in the country at over 20% (!!!) of adults.

I have always believed that us allowing smoking in bars and clubs aided our high smoking rates more than any other factor.

Just absurd that we are or were one of only two states (with Tennessee) that prohibited cities from any action on this. I get the "gubmint doesnt need to tell us what ter do" argument but at least let towns make their own decisions.

[BoulderSooner]

this doesn't change the smoking in bars in any way

[jerrywall]

Does this affect dedicated businesses like smoke shops/cigar lounges?

[Pete]

Have you ever met an adult smoker who didn't want to quit? It's a horrible addiction, proven by the fact that so many people continue to smoke even though virtually all of them would like to stop.

The key is to not get started in the first place. And if you can't smoke in bars, that greatly reduces the number of younger people who make it a habit.


I remember when I first moved to L.A. in 1990. I worked with a lot of entertainment companies in Hollywood and at that time the smoking rate was very high on movie lots and certainly in all the Hollywood clubs and bars. Many celebrities smoked (like the entire cast of Friends save David Schwimmer).

When the state effectively banned all public smoking in 1995, the culture completely changed.

Vaping is just the latest loophole which is in the process of being closed.


Good grief, if entire countries can ban smoking where it had been a huge fixture in bars before (Ireland, England, France, Australia) why are we still allowing this in Oklahoma? It's absurd and at a very basic level, there is a massive related healthcare expense.


As a personal note, my mom got hooked as a teenager and spent her entire adult life trying to quit. She died a horrible death due to lung cancer when she was only 56.

[GoGators]

Don't blame the state legislature. They have much more important things to worry about like displaying "in god we trust" in all state buildings.

[David]

Vaping out in public has been a mild annoyance of mine for a while. Out in a crowd, and someone just freely starts vaping and then you have to start thinking about upwind/downwind so as not to have to share their air pollution.

[Pete]

Lots of people sneak-vape inside bars and other indoor places.

[jerrywall]

Sneak vaping bugs me a lot less (especially if they're using unscented fluids) than the folks sitting around intentionally puffing huge clouds of mango fruity whatever.

Of course, I also want to smack people who wear too much cologne/perfume.

[Pete]

BTW, smoking cessation is close to being a $20 BILLION industry in the U.S. alone.

It simply defies belief that we still allow smoking in any public place.

[BoulderSooner]

Does this affect dedicated businesses like smoke shops/cigar lounges?

it doesn't really affect anything it just added MJ to the city ordinces ..

[emtefury]

Even in non-smoking places, if there is any outdoor space the smokers take it over.

Most states have banned smoking on patios for this very reason.



And I've said this before, but when California initiated its ban in the 90's, it completely changed behavior. After a short adjustment period, you just didn't see young people smoking any more. And that's because they couldn't get started hanging out in bars, so they never got addicted. Smoking rates went way down as a result.

The state spends millions on anti-smoking ads, mainly due to the enormous cost to the healthcare system. Yet, it allows people to smoke in bars and restaurants and in fact prohibits municipalities from instituting their own bans. It's insane. And of course, Oklahoma has one of the highest smoking rates in the country at over 20% (!!!) of adults.

Anecdotal on my part and contributes your don't see young people smoking anymore statement. When I joined the military in the early 2000s alot of military members smoked especially the younger crowd. The smoke pit was always crowded. In the present time, barely anyone smokes. Very few new military members (ages 18-23) smoke.

[Pete]

^

The military used to issue free cigarettes to military members!

It's how my dad got hooked, although through a ton of effort he finally kicked the habit in his 30's.

As I said, it's a horrible addiction and I have sympathy for anyone who is trying to quit; it's obviously incredibly hard.

[jerrywall]

As I said, it's a horrible addiction and I have sympathy for anyone who is trying to quit; it's obviously incredibly hard.

I'm sympathetic, but at the same time, we're increasing the availability of and exposure to strong beer and alcohol like crazy, and promoting its use even more. Alcohol is every bit as dangerous if not more, and can in fact kill someone trying to stop (not something that tobacco does). Billions are thrown down the tubes in the addition and recovery industry (somewhere north of $35 Billion a year last I saw).

So from a workers right issue, or a public nuisance, I'm there. But because it encourages smoking or addition? It seems hypocritical.

[Pete]

^

You are absolutely right.

I also have great sympathy for those with a predisposition to alcoholism and addiction. That's a lifelong battle.

[Jersey Boss]

it doesn't really affect anything it just added MJ to the city ordinces ..

Exactly. Many are not aware that wherever smoking is allowed in public, so is MMJ. (OAC 310:681-2-11(a).
In other words if smoking tobacco in a bar is legal so is the smoking of MMJ.