DALLAS — The Dallas City Council approved adding vaping to its smoke-free ordinance Wednesday, restricting vaping and e-cigarettes in parks.
The ordinance mirrors existing restrictions on smoking in specific areas, including all indoor and enclosed spaces, within 15 feet of building entrances, and on park property.
The change also requires businesses, such as restaurants, hotels and fitness centers, to update their signage to clearly state that both smoking and the use of electronic smoking devices are prohibited. The new ordinance is punishable by a fine up to $500. The new ordinance takes effect Dec. 11, 2025.
“This ordinance fortifies the City’s commitment to restrict vaping in public spaces after collaboration with our community partners and identifying the negative health effects of vaping aerosol exposure,” said Interim City Manager Kimberly Tolbert. “This is an exciting day because the approval of the ordinance closes an important regulatory gap and better protects the health of our residents from the negative effects of electronic smoking devices.”
The city council’s Parks Trails and the Environment committee requested in March that the Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability and the Environmental Commission recommend updating the city's smoke-free ordinance to include vaping.
The Environmental Commission, which is a group appointed to advise the city council on environmental issues, initially recommended in May 2023 that the city restrict vaping in public spaces “after identifying the negative health effects of vaping aerosol exposure,” a city memo published ahead of the vote reads.
“The American Lung Association, American Heart Association, World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control, and the U.S. Surgeon General warn that both direct inhalation and second-hand inhalation from electronic smoking devices have health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations such as children and elderly individuals,” the memo read.
“This is a crucial step for the city of Dallas to join other cities that have done this,” said Kay Kamm, who spoke during the city council meeting Wednesday and said she works for the American Heart Association.
Experts are still studying the potential effects of emissions from e-cigarettes on human health, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Chris Self, a vape advocate, said ahead of the vote that he wasn’t surprised by the city considering the rule change.
Park property would include all of Fair Park and likely during the State Fair of Texas.
The city council’s approval of the ordinance came shortly after the U.S. Supreme Court began hearing a case weighing federal regulators’ decisions blocking sweet vaping products after e-cigarette use spiked among kids.
The high court is taking up an appeal from the Food and Drug Administration, which has denied more than a million applications to sell candy- or fruit-flavored products that may appeal to kids.
