Colorado ban on indoor vaping goes into effect

An expansion to the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, which goes into effect Monday, adds vaping to the preexisting ban on smoking in public indoor spaces.

The Colorado Department of Health & Environment said the change comes as Colorado high school students are vaping twice as much as the national average. “Evidence shows that strong smoke-free policies reduce the likelihood that young people will start smoking,” the CDHE said.

The El Paso County board of health signed a resolution in January 2019 declaring teen vaping a public health crisis. This came soon after former Gov. John Hickenlooper signed an executive order in November 2018 designed to limit teenage use of vapes and e-cigarettes.

The expansion also increases the permissible smoking distance from entrances of public buildings from 15 feet to 25 feet.

The new law aims to protect customers and employees from carcinogenic chemicals, including heavy metals and nicotine found in vaping devices.