The Great Neck Board of Education last week proposed a policy prohibiting the use of electronic cigarettes on school property, following the implementation of similar policies across other Long Island school districts.
Great Neck Board of Education Policy Chair Susan Healy said the board decided to propose the ban to “promote wellness and healthy lifestyles.”
“They have been so much in the news lately and we decided we would be missing the boat in not addressing it,” Healy said.
Electronic cigarettes, commonly known as e-cigarettes, are a tobacco-less cigarette that contain nicotine. E-cigarettes also emit water vapor as opposed to smoke.
The board’s current smoking policy already prohibits the use of tobacco cigarettes on school property. The proposed addition would extend that ban to electronic cigarettes.
Long Island school districts with e-cigarette bans in place include Lynnbrook, Jericho and Middle Country. Suffolk County has also passed a law banning the use of the product in public buildings.
Great Neck’s proposed policy was read for the first time at the board’s March 10 meeting. It will be read through two more times before being voted on, according to Healy.
But according to Spike Babaian, founder of the e-cigarette advocacy group National Vapers Club, the policy is in need of revisions before a vote can happen.
“It’s very poorly written,” Babaian said in an interview.
Babaian, a resident of Garden City, took issue with a part of the proposed policy that read “e-cigarettes, and other products containing nicotine…are also prohibited.”
Babaian said the language allows for people to use products such as electronic pipes or other electronic smoking devices that do not contain nicotine on school property.
“It should say vapor products instead of e-cigarettes,” Babaian said. “There are some e-cigarettes that don’t contain nicotine.”
When asked about e-pipes and non-nicotine e-cigarettes Healy said she “wasn’t even aware that there is such an animal.”
Healy said she would look to changing the language in the upcoming readings of the proposed policy.
“That’s why we read through a policy three times,” Healy said. “We’re trying to make sure the policy catches up with the proper language.
But Healy said state law already prohibits the act of smoking on school property.
“Between our code of conduct and state law there shouldn’t be smoking on district property,” Healy said.
Babaian said she doesn’t think adults of legal smoking age should be banned from smoking e-cigarettes on district property because the vapor given off by the product is not toxic.
“There is no evidence to show that it is toxic to the people around you,” she said.
National Vapers Club, founded in 2009 and based out of Long Island, has funded several studies on the second-hand effects of the vapor from e-cigarettes, Babaian said.
Even though Babaian said the product is harmless she said her and her organization does support the banning of e-cigarettes for minors.
“We think that the youth should not possess or use e-cigarettes,” Babaian said. “You have to be of legal age to use nicotine. Even the ones that don’t use nicotine should be banned [for minors].”
