Glendale council backs updating smoking ordinance to cover e-cigarettes and to match state, federal tobacco‑21 law

Glendale staff told the council on Aug. 12 that the city’s 1987 smoking pollution control ordinance needs updates to cover e‑cigarettes and to align the legal age to purchase and possess tobacco‑related products with federal and state law.

Staff explained the current municipal definition of “smoking” refers to burning tobacco, plant or weed and therefore does not capture non‑combustible products such as e‑cigarettes, vaping devices and nicotine pouches. The presenter said federal law raised the tobacco purchase age to 21 in 2019 and Arizona’s governor signed similar state legislation; amending the local code would align the municipal ordinance with those changes.

Staff recommended updating definitions to include e‑cigarettes and vaping, raising the local purchase/possession age to 21, and leaving the violation as a petty offense with a $10–$300 fine range. Several council members expressed support; one council member who serves on a local school board said vaping in schools (including incidents of students vaping in bathrooms) underlines the public‑health rationale for alignment with state and federal law. No changes to the proposed fine range were requested.

Ending — Next steps: The council indicated consensus to amend the smoking pollution control ordinance to include e‑cigarettes/vaping in the definition of smoking and to adopt the 21‑year purchase/possession threshold to conform with state and federal law. Staff will return with specific code language for formal action at a future meeting.