Bill Would Ban Electronic Cigarettes on Maine School Grounds

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine could ban electronic cigarettes on school grounds under a new bill.

Sen. Rebecca Millett's bill is set for a Tuesday public hearing.

Maine state law already prohibits tobacco use in the buildings or on the grounds of any elementary or secondary school. Maine in 2015 prohibited the use of electronic cigarettes in the same public places where smoking is prohibited, such as restaurants, playgrounds and beaches.

An online summary says Millett's bill would explicitly prohibit possession of smoking devices such as electronic cigarettes, cigars, pipes and vape pens.

Cigarette smoking rates have stopped falling among U.S. kids, and health officials blame vaping.

Most experts agree the vapor is less harmful than cigarette smoke. But there is virtually no research on the long-term effects of the chemicals in the vapor.​