Hawaii passed a law that will add the use of electronic smoking devices, such as electronic cigarettes, to its prohibition against smoking in enclosed or partially enclosed workplaces. The law also bans the use of the devices 20 feet from any window, ventilation intake, or entrance to a workplace. All employers in the state should evaluate their smoking policies before the amendment’s implementation date of January 1, 2016 to ensure that the policy is up-to-date with the new requirements.
Hawaii joins two other states, New Jersey and North Dakota, and several municipalities throughout the country in banning electronic cigarettes in places where smoking has already been banned. Several other states currently ban electronic cigarettes in certain areas, such as public buildings or in areas of mass transit. Senate Bill 1109.
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