Palmerton has already banned smoking in its parks. But a new amendment to the borough code, introduced at the council meeting last week, could bar the use of electronic cigarettes and vaping devices, too.

Councilman Michael Ballard, who charges the buildings, recreation and park committee, presented the addendum.

Ballard said the addition came to mind after he saw a poster for the borough’s annual summer concerts, which reads “no smoking or vaping” in small print at the bottom of the page.

“A light went off in my head,” Ballard said.

“Vaping has become more and more popular,” he said. “Well, it wasn’t a part of the ordinance. That’s why the ordinance has to be amended.”

If enacted, the amendment would prohibit the use, or even carrying, of any “lighted cigar, cigarette, pipe or other combustible tobacco product in any manner” within borough parks, per the legislation posed last week.

Generally, e-cigarettes are considered a safer alternative to regular cigarettes. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the aerosol produced by e-cigarettes can still contain cancer-causing chemicals. And most cartridges contain nicotine, which is highly addictive.

In its 2019-2022 Community Health Needs Assessment, St. Luke’s Health Network cited the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which found that in 2018, 17% of Carbon County adults were smokers. St. Luke’s also reports that the highest rate of e-cigarette use in the region was among 18 to 24-year-olds.

The addition was read publicly for the first time last week. Council passed a motion to advertise Thursday night, and the addendum could be adopted at the next scheduled meeting.

“We don’t want any smoking in the park whatsoever,” Ballard said. “It should not be around our children.”