On December 18, 2018, Franklin’s Common Council voted to include electronic cigarettes in the current tobacco ordinance. With support from partners, the Franklin Police Department, Franklin Public Schools, and the Franklin Board of Health, members of Volition Franklin Youth FACT group educated the council about electronic smoking devices which contains cancer-causing chemicals in youth-appealing fruit and candy flavors. Many of these devices contain high levels of nicotine, which is damaging to the developing brain.
The day of the ordinance proposal, U.S. Surgeon General Vice Adm. Jerome M. Adams issued an advisory stressing the importance of protecting children from a lifetime of nicotine addiction and associated health risks by immediately addressing the epidemic of youth e- cigarette use.
In the amended ordinance, “smoking” is defined as inhaling or exhaling a lightened or heated tobacco product or smoking device that creates aerosol or vapor. This includes the following products: cigars cigarettes, pipes, hookahs, marijuana, electronic cigarettes, and vape pens. Smoking and use of electronic cigarettes is prohibited in any of the following enclosed places:
Restaurants
Taverns
Retail establishments
Lodging establishments
Common areas of multiple- unit residential properties
Child care centers
City buildings
Educational facilities (including school-sponsored functions)
Places of employment or public places
Inpatient health care facilities
Theaters
Private clubs
Correctional Facilities
A sports arena
A bus shelter
A public conveyance
Residence halls or dormitories owned or operated by a college or university
Franklin is one of multiple nearby cities to implement this ordinance with intent to create a healthier, safer community.
