Opinion of council committee divided on proposed ‘vaping’ ban

Allegheny County Council members heard from eight experts and nearly two dozen residents during a public hearing Monday on a bill that would ban the use of electronic vapor devices in public places. The measure, which is supported by the Allegheny County Board of Health and County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, would relegate e-cigarettes and hand-held vaporizers to the same status of tobacco products, which are banned in locations such as schools, government buildings, sports stadiums and public indoor spaces.