Vaping ban for Hamilton's CBD goes up in smoke

A proposed ban on e-cigarettes and vaping has been blown away. Photo / File

A ban on vaping in Hamilton City Council's smoke free areas has been stubbed out, after councillors voted to remove e-cigarettes from its new Smokefree policy.

E-cigarettes were added to the policy at February's community and environmental services committee meeting.

However, at last week's full council meeting, councillor Mark Bunting moved a motion to remove vapes from the policy after public backlash.

Mr Bunting said not enough research had been done on vaping, and said the council was making the decision too early.

Councillor Ryan Hamilton pushed for the vaping ban to be kept in the policy.

"I'm more specifically against the big clouds. If you go down Clarkin Rd and see all the vape clouds from the high school students, the medical people are telling us this is a smoking sensation thing and we now have young people doing it thinking they are cool," Mr Hamilton said.

"Evidentially it is not detrimental in health, but it looks terrible and when we are trying to revitalise the CBD, I don't think it is right to have smokefree policy for Garden Place and then have big clouds of smoke. It looks terrible and I stand by that."

Councillor Siggi Henry said she supported the vaping ban, and the medical evidence was already behind. "I'm not going to wait for them to find out they are wrong again, so I am happy to support the ban."

Councillor James Casson also agreed with Mr Bunting's amendment, saying you could get vapes without nicotine which could prove useful for smokers looking to quit.

Councillors Siggi Henry, Ryan Hamilton and Rob Pascoe were against removing vapes from the ban. Mayor Andrew King, deputy mayor Martin Gallagher and councillors Mark Bunting, Leo Tooman, James Casson, Geoff Taylor and Dave Macpherson were for.