San Francisco could be first US city to ban ecigarette sales
San Francisco, home of the electronic cigarette giant Juul, moved a step closer on Tuesday to becoming the first city in the US to ban all sales of e-cigarettes to crack down on youth vaping.
In a unanimous vote, supervisors approved a ban on the sale and distribution of e-cigarettes until the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) completes a review of their effects on public health. The measures will require a subsequent vote before becoming law.
“We spent the 90s battling big tobacco, and now we see its new form in e-cigarettes,” the supervisor Shamann Walton said.
The FDA has considered a ban on flavored e-cigarettes in response to what it called an “epidemic” of youth using the devices. While the supervisors acknowledged that the legislation would not entirely prevent youth vaping, they hoped it would be a start.
“This is about thinking about the next generation of users and thinking about protecting the overall health and sending a message to the rest of the state and the country: follow our lead,” the supervisor Ahsha Safaí said.
The move is the latest development in the city’s ongoing battle with Juul, maker of the USB shaped e-cigarettes that that are wildly popular with teens. Another proposal being considered by the city would ban the manufacturing of e-cigarettes on city property – Juul is headquartered in the city’s port.The city attorney, Dennis Herrera, sent notice to Juul in March seeking explanation for why Juul holds a tobacco distributor license at the company headquarters, though company officials have denied engaging in the sale of cigarettes or tobacco products on the premises.
The city also joined with Chicago and New York in urging the FDA to conduct a public health review of e-cigarettes.
Despite the backlash, Juul announced the same day as the vote that it purchased a 29-story skyscraper to “serve as additional office space to accommodate our rapidly growing team”.
“We have always been a proud San Francisco-based company, and remain committed to serving the community as we focus on helping adult smokers switch from combustible cigarettes – the leading cause of preventable death – and combating underage use,” the statement reads.
The FDA spokesman Michael Felberbaum said in a statement that the agency would continue to fight e-cigarette use, including preventing youth access to the products, taking action against manufacturers and retailers who illegally market or sell the products to minors and educating young people about health risks.
The city attorney, Dennis Herrera, said young people “have almost indiscriminate access to a product that shouldn’t even be on the market”. Because the FDA had not acted, he said, “it’s unfortunately falling to states and localities to step into the breach”.
Most experts agree that e-cigarettes are less harmful than the paper-andtobacco variety because they do not present all the cancer-causing byproducts found in cigarette smoke. But researchers say they are only begin
ning to understand the risks of e-cigarettes, which they think may damage the lungs and blood vessels.
Since 2014, e-cigarettes have been the most commonly used tobacco product among young people in the country. Last year, one in five US high school students reported vaping in the previous month, according to a government survey.
Juul has repeatedly framed vaping as a healthier alternative to smoking tobacco, and says it has taken steps to deter kids from using its products. The company said in a statement that it had made its online age verification process more robust and shut down its Instagram and Facebook accounts to try to discourage vaping by those under 21 years old.
“But the prohibition of vapor products for all adults in San Francisco will not effectively address underage use and will leave cigarettes on shelves as the only choice for adult smokers, even though they kill 40,000 Californians every year,” said Ted Kwong, Juul spokesman.
The American Vaping Association also opposes San Francisco’s proposal, saying adult smokers deserve access to less hazardous alternatives.
“Going after youth is a step that you can take before taking these out of the hands of adults,” said association president Gregory Conley.
Groups representing small businesses also oppose the measures, which they say could force stores to The Associated Press contributed reporting