San Antonio has ushered in the New Year with a refreshed stance against smoking and vaping in public spaces. An amendment to the city's Smoking & Vaping Ordinance went into effect on January 1, expanding the definition of smoking to include electronic smoking devices (ESDs), which covers popular e-cigarettes and vapes. According to KSAT, this change calls for businesses to update their no-smoking signs to feature the new ESD icon alongside the traditional cigarette icon, encased within a familiar red circle and bar.
Breaking this ordinance could cost violators up to $2,000 for repeated offenses. The city's move, originally adopted in 2010 and modified as ESDs grew in popularity, aims to extend smoke-free environments to the public, thus reducing exposure to secondhand smoke and vapor. MISUSE OF COMMA "The amendment to the San Antonio smoking ordinance benefits the community," a statement from FOX San Antonio, "It prohibits exposure to both secondhand smoke and the vapor from electronic smoking devices. This protects employees and patrons from exposure to dangerous substances."
Local businesses are scrambling to comply with the new regulations to avoid these steep fines. "We're still actively trying to figure that out and trying to iron down what we can or can't do," Riley Maccallum, General Manager of the Original Tycoon Flats, expressed his concerns in an interview with Fox San Antonio. This sentiment is echoed by other business owners who are hastily updating their signage and policies to fall in line with the new ordinance.
While patrons like former vape user Milton Fields IV welcome the amendment, "I feel like if somebody's eating their spaghetti, they don't want strawberry shortcake blowing their face either," he told Fox San Antonio. Fields, who is also a middle school teacher, mentioned the ordinance might influence his students to make safer, healthier choices, a hope likely shared by many educational professionals and parents alike, MISUSE OF COMMA "With the way that vaping is broadcast or solicited to teenagers and adolescents. It's not good," Fields added, highlighting concern over the marketing tactics of ESD towards younger audiences.
For establishments like 'The Rose,' adaptation seems to be key. "We're fortunate to have a patio so, you know, you can smoke and vape out there," said partner Sarah Hartman, indicating that while indoor spaces are out of bounds for smoking and vaping, there remains a place for those who wish to indulge, albeit outside. Hartman also alluded to the importance of respect for all customers, "It just comes down to respect, you know, making sure that we're making sure that everybody's comfortable in the building," as reported by FOX San Antonio.
