Sec. 19a-342a. Use of electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product prohibited. Exceptions. Signage required. Penalties.

(a) As used in this section and section 2 of public act 15-206*:

(1) “Child care facility” means a provider of child care services as defined in section 19a-77, or a person or entity required to be licensed under section 17a-145;

(2) “Electronic nicotine delivery system” means an electronic device that may be used to simulate smoking in the delivery of nicotine or other substances to a person inhaling from the device, and includes, but is not limited to, an electronic cigarette, electronic cigar, electronic cigarillo, electronic pipe or electronic hookah and any related device and any cartridge or other component of such device;

(3) “Liquid nicotine container” means a container that holds a liquid substance containing nicotine that is sold, marketed or intended for use in an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product, except “liquid nicotine container” does not include such a container that is prefilled and sealed by the manufacturer and not intended to be opened by the consumer; and

(4) “Vapor product” means any product that employs a heating element, power source, electronic circuit or other electronic, chemical or mechanical means, regardless of shape or size, to produce a vapor that may or may not include nicotine, that is inhaled by the user of such product, but shall not include a medicinal or therapeutic product used by a (A) licensed health care provider to treat a patient in a health care setting, or (B) a patient, as prescribed or directed by a licensed health care provider in any setting.

(b) (1) No person shall use an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product: (A) In any building or portion of a building owned and operated or leased and operated by the state or any political subdivision thereof; (B) in any area of a health care institution; (C) in any area of a retail food store; (D) in any restaurant; (E) in any area of an establishment with a permit issued for the sale of alcoholic liquor pursuant to section 30-20a, 30-21, 30-21b, 30-22, 30-22a, 30-22c, 30-26, 30-28, 30-28a, 30-33a, 30-33b, 30-35a, 30-37a, 30-37e or 30-37f, in any area of establishment with a permit issued for the sale of alcoholic liquor pursuant to section 30-23 issued after May 1, 2003, or the bar area of a bowling establishment holding a permit pursuant to subsection (a) of section 30-37c; (F) within a school building while school is in session or student activities are being conducted; (G) within a child care facility, except, if the child care facility is a family child care home as defined in section 19a-77, such use is prohibited only when a child enrolled in such home is present; (H) in any passenger elevator, provided no person shall be arrested for violating this subsection unless there is posted in such elevator a sign which indicates that such use is prohibited by state law; (I) in any dormitory in any public or private institution of higher education; or (J) in any area of a dog race track or a facility equipped with screens for the simulcasting of off-track betting race programs or jai alai games. For purposes of this subsection, “restaurant” means space, in a suitable and permanent building, kept, used, maintained, advertised and held out to the public to be a place where meals are regularly served to the public.

(2) This section shall not apply to (A) correctional facilities; (B) designated smoking areas in psychiatric facilities; (C) public housing projects, as defined in subsection (b) of section 21a-278a; (D) any classroom where a demonstration of the use of an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product is taking place as part of a medical or scientific experiment or lesson; (E) any medical research site where the use of an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product is integral to the research being conducted; (F) establishments without a permit for the sale of alcoholic liquor that sell electronic nicotine delivery systems, vapor products or liquid nicotine containers on-site and allow their customers to use such systems, products or containers on-site; (G) smoking rooms provided by employers for employees, pursuant to section 31-40q; (H) notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (E) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, the outdoor portion of the premises of any permittee listed in subparagraph (E) of subdivision (1) of this subsection, provided, in the case of any seating area maintained for the service of food, at least seventy-five per cent of the outdoor seating capacity is an area in which smoking is prohibited and which is clearly designated with written signage as a nonsmoking area, except that any temporary seating area established for special events and not used on a regular basis shall not be subject to the prohibition on the use of an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product or the signage requirements of this subparagraph; or (I) any tobacco bar, provided no tobacco bar shall expand in size or change its location from its size or location as of October 1, 2015. For purposes of this subdivision, “outdoor” means an area which has no roof or other ceiling enclosure, “tobacco bar” means an establishment with a permit for the sale of alcoholic liquor to consumers issued pursuant to chapter 545 that, in the calendar year ending December 31, 2015, generated ten per cent or more of its total annual gross income from the on-site sale of tobacco products and the rental of on-site humidors, and “tobacco product” means any substance that contains tobacco, including, but not limited to, cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco or chewing tobacco.

(c) The operator of a hotel, motel or similar lodging may allow guests to use an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product in not more than twenty-five per cent of the rooms offered as accommodations to guests.

(d) In each room, elevator, area or building in which the use of an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product is prohibited by this section, the person in control of the premises shall post or cause to be posted in a conspicuous place signs stating that such use is prohibited by state law. Such signs, except in elevators, restaurants, establishments with permits to sell alcoholic liquor to consumers issued pursuant to chapter 545, hotels, motels or similar lodgings, and health care institutions, shall have letters at least four inches high with the principal strokes of letters not less than one-half inch wide.

(e) Any person found guilty of using an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product in violation of this section, failure to post signs as required by this section or the unauthorized removal of such signs shall have committed an infraction.

(f) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the designation of any area for the use of electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product in any building.

(g) The provisions of this section shall supersede and preempt the provisions of any municipal law or ordinance relative to the use of an electronic nicotine delivery system or vapor product effective prior to, on or after October 1, 2015.

(P.A. 15-206, S. 1; 15-227, S. 25; P.A. 17-146, S. 36.)

History: Pursuant to P.A. 15-227, “child day care services” and “family day care home” were changed editorially by the Revisors to “child care services” and “family child care home”, respectively, effective July 1, 2015; P.A. 17-146 amended Subsec. (a)(4) by redefining “vapor product” and amended Subsec. (b)(2) by making a technical change in Subpara. (D) and adding new Subpara. (E) re medical research site, and redesignating existing Subparas. (E) to (H) as Subparas. (F) to (I).

Notation

*Note: Section 2 of public act 15-206 is special in nature and therefore has not been codified but remains in full force and effect according to its terms.