A couple of weeks are left for the FDA's public comment period on e-cigarettes, and yet cities are continuing to limit how vapers purchase their pens and where they can do it. The Westminster City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to place rules on how vapor shops operate in their city. It has some people rolling their eyes (hey! Even the OC Register!) – now that the confines in which Westminster shops must operate are just superfluous.
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The city council voted for these rules 4-0, with one councilmember, Andy Quach, abstaining because he believed regulations should be held off until the FDA announces their findings. Alas, now Westminster stores that use at least 10 percent of their space for e-cigs can only operate from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and are limited in how they tint and cover windows. Vape shops are also barred from operating within 700 feet of a school and 1,500 feet of a similar business. We certainly don't want to make it easy for kids to buy e-cigs, but these details will do little to stop them; they just inconvenience businesses. Perhaps the only rational rule is that shops must now prominently display their permits – well, duh.
At least Westminster hasn't gone as far off as Buena Park; in March, their city council voted 5-0 to ban vaping in public parks. Gotta watch out for the quickly dissipating vapor in open air, folks.
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