Drafter
Clerk 03/02/2016
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AN ORDINANCE relating to smoking prohibitions; and amending Ordinance 11950, Section 14, as amended, and K.C.C. 28.96.010 and prescribing penalties.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. Consistent with the King County board of health findings from 2010, as described in R&R BOH10-04.2, the King County council finds that the emergence of unregulated electronic smoking devices used on or in relation to all transit properties presents a threat to the public health.
B. Electronic smoking devices, commonly referred to as electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes, are battery operated devices that resemble cigarettes, although they do not contain tobacco. People who use electronic smoking devices inhale vaporized liquid nicotine or other liquids created by heat through an electronic ignition system and exhale the vapor in a way that mimics smoking.
C. The United States Food and Drug Administration has conducted laboratory tests on numerous brands of electronic smoking devices and found that they contained toxic chemicals and carcinogens in addition to nicotine. Although some electronic smoking devices claim not to contain nicotine, there is no regulatory program to monitor this assertion. The United States Department of Health and Human Services has concluded that nicotine is as addictive as cocaine or heroin and is a highly toxic substance.
D. Electronic smoking devices and other unapproved nicotine delivery products have a high appeal to youth due to their high-tech design and availability in child-friendly flavors like chocolate and strawberry. They also present a substantial risk of nicotine addiction and resultant harm to the public health and safety. In addition, the use of electronic smoking devices in public places and places of employment returns smoking to the public consciousness and complicates enforcement of state and county laws that govern the use of tobacco prod...

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