In North Carolina, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will consider adopting a new rule for vaping products today, Monday, Nov. 16, at their regular meeting which begins at 4 p.m.
After over a year of consideration, the county is prepared to take action on a proposed e-cigarette and smoking ban in “public places.” Scaling back initially proposed requirements, the new rule — should commissioners vote in favor of it — will ban smoking and vaping in all bars, restaurants, and other private and public areas accessible to the general public, according to an article in The Port City Daily.
Violators could be charged a $50 civil penalty, with the option that law enforcement officers first issue a verbal warning. Three-time repeat offenders in charge of managing banned spaces could be fined $200. If it’s an e-cigarette offense, the penalty could be charged as a misdemeanor (the same criminal penalty would not apply to smoking).
An earlier version of the rule was more expansive, and proposed a ban on vaping and smoking on public and private sidewalks accessible to the public. It has since been dropped.
Several North Carolina communities have implemented vaping laws. If approved, it will take effect Jan. 31, 2021, following an implementation period.
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