Dallas will start enforcing a citywide vaping ban on Thursday, treating e-cigarettes the same as traditional cigarettes in all public places where smoking is already prohibited.
The rules bar vaping indoors, within 15 feet of building entrances, on city park property and in other areas covered by the existing smoking ordinance, with violations carrying fines of up to $500.
City officials approved the change earlier this year in response to rising e-cigarette use and growing concerns about secondhand aerosol exposure in public spaces.
The updated ordinance closes what officials described as a regulatory gap, bringing vaping under the same restrictions that have long applied to tobacco smoking.
Businesses are required to update signage to reflect the new policy, and city code officers will handle enforcement as they do with traditional smoking violations.
Dallas joins a number of Texas cities adopting similar restrictions as local governments continue adjusting public-health rules around vaping products.
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