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ORDINANCE NO. 2015-04-02 <br /> AN ORDINANCE TO REGULATE SMOKING, USE OF SMOKELESS TOBACCO, <br /> AND &CIGARETTES IN PARKS, CEMETERIES,AND ALL OTHER FACILITIES <br /> OWNED BY THE CITY OF BATESVILLE <br /> WHEREAS,the Surgeon General of the United States has determined cigarette smoking <br /> has been causally linked to lung cancer, arteriosclerosis and coronary heart disease, chronic <br /> obstructive pulmonary disease, and other conditions that constitute a wide array of serious health <br /> consequences; <br /> WHEREAS,the Surgeon General of the United States has determined that smokeless <br /> tobacco use causes oral cancer, nicotine addiction, and other health problems; <br /> WHEREAS, unregulated high-tech smoking devices,commonly referred to as electronic <br /> cigarettes,or"e-cigarettes," closely resemble and purposefully mimic the act of smoking by having <br /> users inhale vaporized liquid nicotine created by heat through an electronic ignition system. <br /> WHEREAS,after testing a number of e-cigarettes from two leading manufacturers,the <br /> Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that various samples tested contained not only <br /> nicotine but also detectable levels of known carcinogens and toxic chemicals.The FDA's testing also <br /> suggested that"quality control processes used to manufacture these products are inconsistent or <br /> nonexistent." <br /> WHEREAS, e-cigarettes produce a vapor of undetermined and potentially harmful <br /> substances,which may appear similar to the smoke emitted by traditional tobacco products.Their <br /> use in workplaces and public places where smoking of traditional tobacco products is prohibited <br /> creates concern and confusion and leads to difficulties in enforcing the smoking prohibitions. <br /> WHEREAS,the Society of Actuaries has determined that secondhand smoke costs the U.S. <br /> economy roughly$10 billion a year:$5 billion in estimated medical costs associated with <br /> secondhand smoke exposure and $4.6 billion in lost productivity; and <br /> WHEREAS,the City Council, believing it to be in the public interest, seeks to provide a <br /> legal means for official intervention to discourage the use of cigarettes,cigars, pipes, smokeless <br /> tobacco products,and e-cigarettes in parks,cemeteries, and other facilities owned by the City of <br /> Batesville. <br /> NOW,THEREFORE,BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE <br /> CITY OF BATESVILLE,ARKANSAS, <br />