National Park Service bans electronic cigarettes in America's national parks

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National Park Service on Monday banned the use of electronic smoking devices in the country's national parks
Policy, effective immediately, prohibits use of electronic smoking devices in all areas where tobacco smoking is banned in national parks

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: 20:55 EST, 14 September 2015 | Updated: 00:35 EST, 15 September 2015

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Electronic cigarettes have been banned in America's national parks, the National Park Service announced on Monday.

The policy, effective immediately, prohibits the use of electronic smoking devices in all areas where tobacco smoking is banned in the country's 408 national parks, according to the Washington Times.

National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis said in their efforts to protect the health and safety of visitors and employees, they are extending restrictions on tobacco smoke to include vapor from electronic smoking devices.

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On Monday, the National Park Service has banned the use of electronic smoking devices including e-cigarettes in all places that tobacco smoking is prohibited in America's national parks (above a file photo of a woman smoking an e-cigarette

The National Park Service said in their efforts to protect the health and safety of visitors and employees, they are extending restrictions on tobacco smoke to include vapor from electronic smoking devices (visitors are shown at Yosemite National Park)

'Protecting the health and safety of our visitors and employees is one of the most critical duties of the National Park Service,' Jarvis said.

'We are therefore extending the restrictions currently in place protecting visitors and employees from exposure to tobacco smoke to include exposure to vapor from electronic smoking devices.'

Under the new policy, e-cigarettes are banned within all national mark concession facilities and all facilities and vehicles that are government-leased or owned, according to the Washington Times.

The National Park Service also noted that vapor exhaled from e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) contains about one-tenth the nicotine that is found in second-hand smoke.

'Nicotine is highly addictive, toxic to developing fetuses and impairs fetal brain and lung development,' the National Park Service said.

National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis (pictured in April) said in their efforts to protect the health and safety of its visitors and employees, they are 'extending the restrictions currently in place protecting visitors and employees from exposure to tobacco smoke to include exposure to vapor from electronic smoking devices'

Under the new policy, e-cigarettes are banned within all national mark concession facilities and all facilities and vehicles that are government-leased or owned (Grand Canyon National Park is pictured above)

E-cigarettes are considered to be a healthier option for smokers because they simulate the feeling of smoking without any smoke or burning, and a study by a UK health agency deduced that vaporizers are 95 per cent less harmful than traditional cigarettes, suggesting that they can even help people quit tobacco.

The American Lung Association voices concern that the claims that e-cigarettes help people quit smoking are unproven, and that they may actually serve as a gateway for the use of traditional tobacco products - particularly for teens.

According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention electronic cigarette use among teens has surpassed traditional cigarette use for the first time.

The American Lung Association stated that without FDA regulation, 'there is no way for the public health and medical community or consumers to know what chemicals are contained in e-cigarettes or what the short and long-term health implications might be'.

The National Park Service's ban on e-cigarettes comes after another recent ban they issued on prohibiting the use of personal drones in Yosemite National Park due to their possible interference with the animals, according to PCMag.