SAN ANTONIO — (Editor's Note: The above video is an earlier coverage of this story, although still relevant.)
Vaping in public is no longer allowed in San Antonio after a unanimous vote by city council Thursday.
In Thursday's meeting, councilmembers voted to ban vaping specifically in public spaces of the Alamo City.
“Vaping carries significant health risks. Just as we banned smoking in many public areas years ago, it was now time to ban vaping for the protection of our community,” District 10 councilmember Marc Whyte said.
Whyte also said that he would also like to consider banning vape shops near schools, something District 9 councilmember, and mayoral candidate, John Courage is proposing.
“One of City Council’s most important duties is to put policies in place that protect our youth," said Whyte. "It’s time for our state legislature to step up and ensure that vape shops can no longer be placed near schools around San Antonio and the state.”
At least two schools in North East ISD are in close proximity to vape shops. Vape Monkey is in front of Thousand Oaks Elementary School, and in March, Smokerz Paradise opened right next to James Madison High School.