Group Sues NYC, Seeks To Overturn E-Cig Ban

NEW YORK (AP) — A smokers’ advocacy group says it has sued New York City seeking to overturn the city’s ban on electronic cigarettes.

The NYC Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment said Tuesday it filed the papers in state Supreme Court.

The Smoke-Free Air Act was signed into law in December, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s last month in office. The law prohibits e-cigarettes in all areas where regular cigarettes are banned.

The lawsuit says regulating both tobacco smoke exposure and e-cigarettes violates the “One Subject Rule” of the city’s charter.

The FDA plans to regulate e-cigarettes but has not yet issued proposed rules.

City Council spokeswoman Robin Levine says the act protects New Yorkers from the harmful effects of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. She says the council is confident the courts will uphold the legislation.