Dallas, TX

Dallas closer to banning vaping in public spaces

Published

2 years ago

March 18, 2024

Dallas closer to banning vaping in public spaces

Dallas is weighing recommendations from a citizen-led advisory group to ban vaping in public spaces to protect vulnerable populations from what it considers harmful secondhand exposure.

At a Parks, Trails and the Environment committee meeting this month, Folashade Afolabi, with the Dallas Environmental Commission, said her group recommends the city expand its definition of smoking to include e-cigarettes, cigars and vapes that create an aerosol or vapor.

The policy change would bring the city up to a “gold standard” of public health, Afolabi said, adding that the change is recommended by the American Lung Association, American Heart Association and World Health Organization.

“Unfortunately, you’ll see some of the data shows that there are many children that are teenagers who are dual smoking,” Afolabi said. “So they came into the tobacco world and the cigarette world from e-cigarettes and now have ventured over to combustible cigarettes.”

City staff are still working on making amendments to the parts of the code prohibiting smoking and have a goal to present it to City Council in the next two or three months, said Carlos Evans, director of Dallas’ Office of Environmental Quality and Sustainability.

But the Parks, Trails and Environment committee will get another briefing before the full Council, he said. Dallas trails behind other Texas cities in banning e-cigarettes. Vaping was banned in Austin in 2017 and in Houston in 2022.

“The smoking ordinance passed long, long before vaping became trendy,” Evans said. “But now vaping is on the rise. It’s popular for certain groups, including teenagers, which is causing significant firsthand and secondhand health impacts.”

Evans said he spoke with local restaurant owners, who have told him the policy change would be welcomed since it would help with enforcement.

“They believe that this may be helpful to them because they don’t have to police people in their restaurants to figure out who’s vaping versus who’s smoking?” Evans said.

Dr. Philip Huang, the director of Dallas County’s Health and Human Services department, presented data to the committee showing that although the number of Texas teens using e-cigarettes has fallen over the years, the prevalence is still high among youth.

More than 23% of youth in 2014 reported using e-cigarettes, according to Texas A&M University’s 2014-21 Texas Youth Tobacco Survey. In 2021, about 16% of teens reported using e-cigarettes.

“What we’ve made tremendous progress in is in conventional smoking rates and reductions in those, especially among youth,” Huang said.

From 1999 until 2019, traditional cigarette use among 12th graders fell from 35% to 8.2%, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey.

E-cigarette use among 12th graders rose dramatically, from 1.6% in 2011 to 34.5% in 2019.

“E-cigarettes are reintroducing and re-addicting a whole generation of kids to nicotine, which is very concerning for all of us,” Huang said.

According to Dallas County data, a January 2020 outbreak of severe lung illnesses related to e-cigarette exposure affected 63 people, 35% of whom were kids under 18 years old.

“They were very severe,” Huang said “I remember visiting a couple of the cases in the hospital, many of them requiring ICU hospitalizations and so it is potentially a very serious public health issue.”

In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked an epidemic of more than 2,800 hospitalizations and 68 deaths related to a vitamin E acetate byproduct in illicit e-cigarettes, which prompted a public health response with bans and educational campaigns warning young adults of the risks.

The spike in reported lung injuries gripped the country and Dallas County reported a swell of hospitalizations and a few deaths related to the epidemic. A Dallas County teen with underlying health conditions died in 2020 from complications caused by vaping use, according to the county.

Area manager Javi Villarreal poses behind the disposable nicotine vapes on sale at Gas Pipe on Maple Ave on Thursday, March 14, 2024, in Dallas. The city of Dallas is leaning toward expanding its ban on smoking in public spaces to include the use of e-cigarettes. (Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer)

Banning vaping in public spaces appears to face little opposition from City Council members or some businesses that sell vaping products in Dallas.

Regulating the use of e-cigarettes in public spaces is smart for Dallas, said Bridget Payrot, the director of operations and human resources for The Gas Pipe, which operates five smoke shops throughout Dallas.

“We back that policy,” Payrot said. “First and foremost, the safety of everyone involved is the most critical element.”

Residents in public should have the right to breathe healthy air, Payrot said, adding that secondhand exposure to any smoke should be regulated.

“We’ve always just felt that you should be treating vaping as smoking no matter what,” Payrot said.

Dallas City Council member Paula Blackmon said at the meeting that the data on kids’ growing e-cigarette use was alarming considering how addictive nicotine can be. She wants to see the city create a public awareness campaign to educate more teens and parents about the potential dangers of vaping.

“We might want to even do a broader campaign and maybe partnering with the health department in this and working with parents,” Blackmon said. “Because once you get hooked, it’s kind of hard to come off of it.”

Dallas City Council member Jesse Moreno said he was proud to be part of the 2016 smoking ban in city parks and trails the city adopted.

But he said he wants to see some exceptions that were carved out – like allowing use at the State Fair of Texas, golf courses and gun ranges – to be “folded back into the broad regulation” as the city attempts to amend the code.

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Dallas, TX

Hundreds line up in southern Dallas for Thanksgiving meal distribution

Published

17 hours ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Hundreds line up in southern Dallas for Thanksgiving meal distribution

Hundreds of cars lined up outside Uplift Hampton School in southern Dallas for the Melville Family Foundation’s fourth annual Thanksgiving meal distribution. Students and volunteers handed out kits with turkey, fresh produce, and traditional sides to families in need.

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Dallas, TX

This North Oak Cliff neighborhood is Dallas’ friendliest

Published

1 day ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

This North Oak Cliff neighborhood is Dallas’ friendliest

Nextdoor, the social media platform that connects neighbors through shared recommendations and local updates, recently released its ranking of the friendliest places to live in Dallas. At the top of the list is South Winnetka Heights, an Oak Cliff neighborhood of about 95 homes, many of which date back to the 1920s and ’30s.

Lists like these are subjective, to put it mildly, but in a sprawling city like Dallas, friendliness can feel like a lost art. It’s heartening to see neighborhoods that value connection where the neighborly spirit is thriving.

Last year, the neighborhood just a few streets away from Bishop Arts became an approved conservation district. The ordinance protects the roughly four blocks of Craftsman and bungalow-style houses south of 12th Street, which divides South Winnetka Heights from the Winnetka Heights historic district.

In December, the historic district hosts a holiday home tour, when residents open the doors of their Craftsman homes to visitors. It’s clear that residents take pride in showing off their neighborhood and its Prairie-style and Craftsman houses.

Michael “Patty” Evans has called South Winnetka Heights home for over 20 years and was among the residents who pushed for its conservation district status. He explained that the rules are looser than those of their northern neighbors in the Winnetka Heights historic district — protecting the character of the homes without stricter material or design regulations.

Nextdoor determines neighborhood scores based on factors like posts with positive or negative tones, fulfilled neighbor requests and posts expressing neighborhood pride or dissatisfaction. But that community feel isn’t limited to online.

Evans described the streets around him as a “tight neighborhood.” He said neighbors take the time to introduce themselves to new residents, and that this creates a network of people who know one another and keep tabs on what goes on in the neighborhood.

As much as Chicago or New York are cities of neighborhoods, Dallas is also a city of neighborhoods, and we should try to preserve this sense of community where we can.

As new developments and luxury apartment complexes come to Bishop Arts and more residents and businesses gravitate toward areas like Uptown, finding ways to stay connected to the local community feels increasingly important.

Evans said that sitting on his porch in South Winnetka Heights, especially when the leaves begin to fall, he can see downtown Dallas.

The city is a lot smaller than it can feel, especially when neighbors take the time to talk to each other, and not just online, but also by waving from their porches.

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Dallas, TX

Trade rumors heating up as Dallas Mavericks could make major move after awful start

Published

2 days ago

November 21, 2025

Press Room

Trade rumors heating up as Dallas Mavericks could make major move after awful start

The Dallas Mavericks are in a tough spot. Through the early stages of the 2025-26 campaign, the Mavericks are a mere 4-12 and have one of the worst records in the NBA.

An unbalanced roster and plenty of injuries are making it more and more likely that the Mavericks won’t be able to dig out of this hole, even if Kyrie Irving is able to return from an ACL injury.

At this point, focusing on the future should be Dallas’s primary objective. The franchise only controls one of its own first-round picks through 2030, and that selection will fall this summer.

READ MORE: Mavericks deliver tough season-ending update on failed Nico Harrison signing

If there’s a path to regaining assets, the Mavericks must explore possibilities, including major moves that would break up the current team.

Trade Rumors Heating Up Around Mavericks’ Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson

Feb 8, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) and guard Klay Thompson (31) celebrates after Davis dunks the ball during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

It’s no real secret that the Mavericks would part with just about any player on their roster for the right price, including Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson.

According to Dallas Hoops Journal’s Ashish Mathur, Davis and Thompson are aware there’s reportedly “a high chance” the franchise trades them. Both players have been quite disappointing since being acquired by the Mavericks.

Davis was obviously the “crown jewel” in the trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s only played in 14 regular-season games since the deal due to a variety of injuries.

So far this year, Davis has appeared in five games, averaging 20.8 points, – tied for the second-lowest mark of his career – 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks. He’s missed the last 11 outings due to bilateral Achilles tendinosis and a calf strain.

Davis is signed through the 2027-28 season and is making north of $54 million this season. The 32-year-old is a 10x NBA All-Star and won a championship with the Lakers in 2020.

Thompson is in the second season of a three-year/$50 million contract, joining the Mavericks via sign-and-trade from the Golden State Warriors in 2024.

The veteran sharpshooter has fallen off a cliff this season. Thompson was removed from the starting lineup earlier this season. He’s averaging a career-low 9.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. Thompson is only shooting 34.7% from the field and 31.3% from three-point range.

Thompson is a 5x NBA All-Star and he won four titles with the Warriors.

Parting ways with a handful of veterans would give the Mavericks an opportunity to fully focus on building around Cooper Flagg.

READ MORE: NBA expert believes Mavericks’ situation is most ‘dire’ it’s ever been

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