EVERETT — The Snohomish Health District board appears ready to approve a countywide ban on vaping at work sites and in public places.
But during a public hearing on Tuesday afternoon, the owners of several vaping businesses said they had concerns about some of the other regulations included in the proposed ordinance.
Josh Baba, the general manager of three Vaporland stores in Snohomish County, said the “pendulum of politics and regulation” had swung too far with some parts of the proposal. He and other vapor store owners said they objected to not allowing seating in the stores where sampling of vaping products would be allowed. Such regulation unnecessarily demonizes the product, he said.
Matt Bradley, co-owner of Sky Vapor stores, said it can take about 40 minutes to acquaint a first-time customer with the ins and outs of vaping. Bradley said his stores currently have barstools and a counter where people can sit.
Bradley also objected to a proposed requirement for stores where vaping products can be sampled to have an independent ventilation system. “It will be very costly,” he said. “We don’t have the financing for something like that.”
Board of health member Karen Guzak, mayor of Snohomish, said she found the comments asking for seating to be allowed in vaping stores compelling. “I think we need to look at that again,” she said. “Otherwise the ordinance is looking pretty good to me.”
Dr. Gary Goldbaum, health officer for the Snohomish Health District, said he has concerns about allowing the sampling of vaping products. If sampling is allowed, he said, he doesn’t want the businesees to turn into informal vaping lounges. King County’s vaping regulations don’t allow vapor sampling, he said, yet “there’s a very robust climate for these devices.”
Other parts of the proposed ordinance would prohibit the sale of vaping products to minors, require businesses that sell vaping products to be licensed and ban vaping in public in much the same way as smoking is prohibited under state law.
Board of health member Ken Klein, a Snohomish County Council member, said he wished that the state would take action on the vaping issue, much as it did with the ban on smoking in public.
A second public-comment meeting on the proposed ordinance is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Monday at the Snohomish Health District offices.
The ordinance could be scheduled for a final vote at the health district board’s next meeting on Nov. 10.
Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
How to offer your input
The Snohomish Health District is taking public comment on a proposed vaping ordinance through Oct. 23.
Comments may be emailed to sipp@snohd.org or mailed to the Snohomish Health District, Attn: SIPP Comments, 3020 Rucker Ave., Suite 306, Everett, WA 98201.
A public survey on the topic is available at www.snohd.org.
A public comment session is scheduled from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Oct. 19 in the Snohomish Health District Auditorium. More information on the issue is available on the health district’s website at www.snohd.org.
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