Minneapolis parks to ban E-Cigarette, chewing tobacco use

Starting May 8, chewing tobacco use on Minneapolis park grounds will be banned, along with electronic devices such as eCigs. The city parks already banned other tobacco use in 2009.

According to the city, this includes, but is not limited to "playgrounds, athletic fields, beaches, aquatic areas, lakes and rivers, ice skating rinks, parks, walking/hiking/biking trails, restaurants, maintenance support facilities, the MPRB Headquarters, golf courses and temporary work zones such as the street right-of-way among others."

However, it is not a violation for a person or group to use tobacco on Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board owned or operated land as part of a traditional spiritual or cultural ceremony. Approval from Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Superintendent or designee must be requested and received prior to the ceremony.

The ban defines electronic delivery device as "any product containing or delivering nicotine, lobelia, or any other substance intended for human consumption that can be used by a person to simulate smoking in the delivery of nicotine or any other substance through inhalation of vapor from the product.

The prohibition applies to those that are "chewed, absorbed, dissolved, inhaled or ingested by any other means, including, but not limited to, a cigarette, a cigar, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco, snuff, or snus."