MiraCosta College bans e-cigarettes

Puffing away on e-cigarettes will no longer be allowed on MiraCosta’s campuses in Cardiff and Oceanside.

The MiraCosta Board of Trustees on Jan. 20 added e-cigarettes and vapor-producing paraphernalia to its prohibition on tobacco products. The revised policy states MiraCosta students, employees, and visitors may only use such products in their cars, according to a press release announcing the ban.

“The Associated Student Senate supported the revised smoking policy so that our students can learn in a safe and comfortable environment without having to deal or think of second-hand smoke and other smoking-related issues,” said ASG President Brayan Astorga.

Electronic cigarettes are battery-operated devices that convert nicotine or chemicals into vapor that’s inhaled by the user.

Under MiraCosta rules, tobacco products may not be sold on campus, advertised on MiraCosta property and cannot appear in MiraCosta publications.

The college’s previous smoking policy, approved in May 2009, banned tobacco products, but did not address e-cigarettes.

Encinitas and a number of other cities in San Diego County have banned the use of e-cigarettes everywhere that conventional cigarettes are banned, including parks, beaches and other public places.