Erie County, New York Is Proposing E-Cig Regulations

Erie County could soon impose new E-cigarette regulations that are similar to already-existing cigarette regulations.

The county will hold a public forum on Monday, January 26th at 4:30 p.m. to discuss E-cigarettes and their potential health hazards.  Leaders will also discuss banning their use in public places under the Clean Indoor Air Act, which was created in 1998, before E-cigarettes were invented.

The move follows a new report that shows the vapor produced by E-cigarettes contains high levels of formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen.

Governor Cuomo has already proposed banning E-cigarettes from all public indoor places where regular smoking is prohibited, citing health concerns.

Researchers at Roswell Park say E-cigs are still safer than smoking cigarettes, but studies show they might not be as safe as first thought.

“In cigarettes you have thousands of chemicals. The levels are off the charts,” said Dr. Andrew Hyland from Roswell Park Cancer Institute.  “With E-cigarettes there’s fewer emissions that come out, but there are some emissions – formaldehyde and some other toxins that can approach levels that you see in cigarettes.”

“The formaldehyde that was being recorded through this study, it was very skewed.  The reality is this is a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes,” said Perfection Vapes Inc. owner Vic Canastraro.

Canastraro says his target customers are cigarette smokers looking to quit, and he plans to be at that public meeting to talk about the positives of E-cigarettes.