New Yorkers who say electronic cigarettes helped them quit smoking have asked city lawmakers not to ban the nicotine inhalers from restaurants, workplaces and other indoor spaces.
The City Council held a public hearing Wednesday on legislation that would add e-cigs to the 12-year-old law that forces smokers to satisfy their nicotine habits at home or on the sidewalk.
Proponents of a ban told the council's health committee that e-cigs are threatening to undermine one of the key benefits of the original smoking ban, which was to make it socially unacceptable.
They say the inhalers might also be a health hazard.
Some users of electronic cigarettes told the City Council there isn't enough evidence they pose a health risk to justify their exclusion.
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