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Connecticut e-cigarette restriction laws start today

Publication Date: 2015-10-01
  • Author:Sujata Jain
  • Publication:WFSB

A number of new Connecticut laws took effect on Thursday, including one that subjects smoking an e-cigarette to many of the same restrictions as conventional smoking.

The new legislation was passed earlier this year.

"Our job is to to look at the public health as a whole in the state of Connecticut," said Rep. Matt Ritter, a Democrat from the 1st Assembly District. "We can't worry about what some felt was an inconvenience for them who wanted to smoke their e-cigarette maybe at a restaurant or a bar."

Ritter said there was testimony against it, but he thought the vast majority of the General Assembly thought it was good public policy.

Violating it carries a fine.

Lawmakers said there was enormous support for the law in both the state House of Representatives and the Senate, partly because e-cigarettes are not regulated at the federal level.

"The concern with e-cigarettes in saying that they're ok would be bringing back sort of a normalization of smoking," said Dr. Michelle Petrucelli, emergency physician, Hartford Hospital. "Something that was seen in the 50s and 60s. We've worked decades to get rid of that, to not have smoking everywhere."...

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