Alabama lawmakers pre-file bill to prevent indoor vaping in public spaces

On Feb 9, 2024

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAFF) – Have you ever been unintentionally hit with second-hand vape smoke while walking through a mall or restaurant? If that’s an annoyance or health hazard to you, great news: lawmakers are trying to put an end to that.

The proposed bill is called the Alabama Clean Indoor Air Act, and the goal is to keep people from vaping inside public places such malls, restaurants, museums and any other public venue.

To mothers like Izabella Barr, it’s a law she would welcome with open arms.

“It would give me a peace of mind especially with me having a one-year-old and a three-month old that both have breathing problems, along with myself and my husband,” she said.” It would make me feel a lot better knowing I could go into a building without someone vaping or smoking inside of it.”

She’s one of several people who support the idea of banning indoor vaping. Many believed it was more about good manners than it was about public health, but Dr. Karen Landers with the Alabama Department of Public Health says vaping is still relatively too new to know just how harmful second-hand vaping is.

“While we don’t have a lot of data now about second hand vaping, we are very concerned about the preliminary data knowing that vaping is not good for people who do this so therefore its not necessarily good for the people around them either,” she said.

People like Barr don’t want to take that chance, especially since this is an issue she’s dealt with majority of her life.

“Everyone that I knew smoked a lot so whether it be regular vapes or actual cigarettes, I’ve been vulnerable to it, if that makes sense,” Barr said.

If the bill were to become law, it would take effect on October 1.

Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!