Breckenridge looks at public e-cig, vape pen laws

What a difference 40 years makes.

As a child in the 70s, Ken Nelson of the Breckenridge Restaurant Association remembers when smokers could light up just about anywhere: nightclubs, high-end restaurants, aprs patios, the dive bar down the street. Swirling smoke was considered yet another piece of the dining experience.

These days, decades of research on second-hand smoke have changed the restaurant industry. Smoking isnt allowed anywhere at Nelsons three Main Street establishments, including the outdoor patios he considers extensions of the dining rooms. For him, its a courtesy to all patrons, and smokers are often more than willing to oblige.

I think smokers have always been good about accommodating others, Nelson said. Theyre tuned into watching where these (smoking) areas are, and I think people understand where they can go and where they cant. Even smokers arent accustomed to having smoke in their face when they eat.

But habits are shifting once again. On Wednesday, the Breckenridge Town Council heard a series of revisions to the towns current smoking ordinance. The proposed changes arent 40 years in the making indoor smoking has been banned across the town and state since 2006 but they highlight a relatively new slice of tobacco (and marijuana) culture: electronic smoking devices.

As defined by the revised ordinance, electronic smoking devices run the gamut from electronic cigarettes to oil-based vaporizer pens. The revisions also ban smoking electronic and otherwise at all indoor and outdoor public areas owned by the town, including Blue River Plaza, the riverside bike path and golf club facilities, excluding the course of play itself. The ban is paired with a 10-foot buffer zone restriction for business entryways, restaurant patios and public transit stations.

The town council unanimously approved the revised ordinance on its first reading Wednesday night, and no business owners or town residents opposed the changes. The ordinance will take effect if passed during the second reading at the next regular meeting on Jan. 27.

Silverthorne and Dillon have considered similar restrictions the Dillon council will discuss smoking at the Jan. 20 work session but neither town has written drafts ordinances.

Before approving the Breckenridge revisions, Mayor John Warner wondered aloud about the impact they will have on casual, everyday smokers.

This is something new and perhaps will be important for some people, Warner said at the meeting. When he asked how long other Colorado towns have banned electronic devices and smoking in entryways, Breckenridge chief of police Shannon Haynes noted that Denver and Boulder passed similar smoking laws several years ago, and Brecks proposed changes are in line with most of the state.

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Breckenridge looks at public e-cig, vape pen laws