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Public E-Cigarette Ban Goes Into Effect At Midnight

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — A ban on e-cigarettes at bars, restaurants and other public areas will go into effect Friday at midnight for the city of Los Angeles.

The ban, approved by the Los Angeles City Council 14-0 in March, prohibits "vaping" at farmers' markets, parks, recreational areas, beaches, indoor workplaces such as bars and nightclubs, outdoor dining areas and any other location where tobacco smoking is restricted.

However, just as with cigar and hookah lounges, vaping lounges and stores are exempt from the ban.

The ordinance also restricts the sale and use of the devices in smoking clubs to adults 18 and older.

While some researchers have found e-cigarettes to be less harmful to smokers' heart function than regular tobacco cigarettes, studies have found the devices contain benzene, toluene, heavy metals such as nickel and arsenic, and other chemicals in addition to nicotine.

Research has yet to determine the extent to which e-cigarettes may pose a public health threat.

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