(1) Extensive medical and scientific research confirms that environmental tobacco and/or vapor smoke is harmful to smokers and nonsmokers alike, causing eye, nose, and throat irritation; aggravating lung and heart diseases, including emphysema; and is linked to various types of cancer. There are no peer-reviewed studies that prove that vapor products or e-cigarettes are safe for the user, or that secondhand vapor product emissions are not a health threat to nonusers.

(2) Additional medical and scientific research concludes that carbon monoxide levels in rooms and vehicles where smoking occurs often exceed maximum permissible safety levels and that other hazardous compounds are released into the environment by tobacco smoke, including but not limited to: tar, nicotine, cadmium, nitrogen dioxide, ammonia, benzene, formaldehyde, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen cyanide, and arsenic. Nicotine, one of the main chemical components of most e-liquid concoctions, is a highly addictive and toxic chemical. Regardless of the source (tobacco or vapor products), the ingestion and inhalation of nicotine is not safe and can cause ill health effects.

(3) Health research further shows that smoking in the workplace causes loss in employee morale and productivity, increases in employee accident rates and absenteeism, increases in employer medical costs, greater threats of fire damage, and other detrimental impacts to both public and private property.

(4) The Washington State Legislature recognized the health risks of secondhand smoke, which is known to cause cancer, pneumonia, asthma, bronchitis, and heart disease. Citizens are often exposed to secondhand smoke in the workplace, and are likely to develop chronic, potentially fatal diseases as a result of such exposure. Thus, Legislature enacted the Smoking in Public Places (formerly the Washington Clean Indoor Air Act), codified at Chapter 70.160 RCW.

(5) It is necessary to create designated smoking locations in order to protect County employees and the public from the health and property hazards created by tobacco and vapor smoke and limit the litter associated with smoking debris.

(6) Under the State Department of Labor and Industries’ Environmental Tobacco Smoke regulation, WAC 296-800-24010, the County must minimize the amount of environmental tobacco and vapor smoke that enters its office buildings.