Georgia law prohibiting vaping in public places brings controversy

TIFTON, Ga. (WALB) - Like cigarette smoke, Georgia lawmakers say vaping in public is also a nuisance. Efforts to prohibit vaping in public places recently came across Governor Brian Kemp’s desk.

If you can’t smoke cigarettes in an area, you won’t be allowed to vape in it either. That’s how lawmakers are treating vaping in public under Senate Bill 47.

In 2019, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported that they identified 42 cases of vaping-associated illness in Georgia, which included six deaths.

Jamie Yourn, an employee at the store Vaping Easy in Tifton, told WALB they agree with the restrictions.

“We support the modification of the law to have the same regulations that are opposed on tobacco, even though the California clean air study shows that vaping does not contribute to air pollution, we do agree to it as a public courtesy,” Yourn said.

While some agree with the new restrictions, others disagree. People believe vaping is the number one tool that has helped them to stop or slow down cigarette smoking. Others say vaping helps with anxiety.

“You can’t get secondhand smoke from vaping so it’s a lot safer. I mean, it’s just water vapor at the end of the day; versus tobacco and all the chemicals in the air from that,” Yourn said.

The bill also states if a person violates this law they will be charged with a misdemeanor and can be fined from $100 to $500.

As of the posting of this article, Kemp has yet to sign the bill.

Since this is a controversial topic, we want to know your thoughts about vaping in public places. Do you agree or disagree?

Visit the WALB Facebook page to leave your opinion.

Copyright 2023 WALB. All rights reserved.