Sen. Allen Wants Ban on Vaping in Public Places

If Cottondale State Senator Gerald Allen (District 21) gets his way, Alabama would be one of just 19 states that ban vaping in most public places statewide.

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The longtime Republican state lawmaker has pre-filed a bill that is similar to the ban on smoking tobacco products in public. It would ban battery-powered devices, typically called an e-cigarette or vape pen, in restaurants, malls, and at sporting events, among other public places.

According to many health experts, vaping has become a controversial alternative to smoking cigarettes because it carries with it a harmful chemical health risk of its own, has the potential for addiction, and heavily markets its products toward young people.

In December 2016, the U.S. Surgeon General released a report concluding that "e-cigarette aerosol is not harmless and can contain nicotine and other harmful and potentially harmful chemicals."

Of concern to Sen. Allen is what is often called “secondhand vapor,” which can contain harmful substances such as nicotine, ultrafine particles, and toxins that bystanders can inhale.

On the other side of the issue, many people say vaping has helped them stop smoking more dangerous tobacco products.

Senate Bill 9 would add language to the state’s Clean Indoor Act to establish the ban. It is the second time Allen has attempted to get the legislation passed. He tried this past legislative session but failed to get the bill to a floor vote in the upper chamber.

In addition to the vape ban, Allen’s bill would rename the Alabama Clean Indoor Act to the “Vivian Davis Figures Clean Indoor Air Act”. Figures is a Democrat State Senator from Mobile who was a key backer of the original clean indoor air act in 2003.

If passed and signed into law by the governor, the act would become effective on October 1, 2026.