Committee discusses adding vaping devices to Monroe's indoor smoking ban

The JNO committee in Monroe discussed whether to amend the city's indoor smoking ordinance to explicitly include electronic smoking devices, including e-cigarettes and vaping units. Administrator Rendy brought the matter forward as a preliminary discussion and asked whether staff should draft a municipal ordinance to add vaping to the current non-smoking code.

Committee members said they favored treating vaping the same as smoking. One committee member said, "I like the vaping getting put in the same basket as smoking," and another urged a single umbrella policy covering both products. A staff member said they could prepare a short draft modeled on other municipalities, noting, "Madison's ordinance is, like, way too comprehensive. We don't need that." The speaker offered to bring a revised draft to the next committee meeting.

Staff and Chief Kelly raised practical limits for enforcement. Administrator Rendy noted the city's current code references state statutes that do not explicitly cover electronic devices, and indicated municipalities may enact local limits. Chief Kelly warned enforcement would be easier if the rule was definitive and applied to indoor facilities, and he stressed that enforcement would typically follow a complaint rather than routine policing. "Education is probably going to be almost primary on this," a city official said, advising outreach before enforcement begins.

Committee members also asked whether festival settings and outdoor public property would be covered. Staff and police advised the restriction would be most straightforward inside buildings and noted outdoor areas such as beer gardens or festivals present enforcement and legal challenges.

The committee agreed to have staff prepare a concise draft ordinance (with definitions and indoor scope) for consideration at a future meeting and to include an outreach plan prior to enforcement.