San Francisco officials have unanimously agreed to implement America’s first e-cigarette sales ban.
The ban would also prohibit the manufacture of vape products, forcing pod manufacturer JUUL to relocate.
Officials hope that the ban will prevent youth from getting hold of the devices. However, combustible cigarettes will remain on sale in many of the same locations where e-cigarettes are currently sold.
Supervisor Shamann Walton said:
“We spent the ‘90s battling big tobacco, and now we see its new form through e-cigarettes. I’m not going to put profits of big tobacco over the health of our children and our young people.”
The city is caught up in ongoing tensions between the embattled vape company and city and federal officials who believe it’s responsible for the so-called teen vaping ‘epidemic’.
JUUL spokesman, Ted Kwong, told Forbes that the company has already implemented a number of strict measures to discourage teens from obtaining their products.
Kwong said:
“But the prohibition of vapor products for all adults in San Francisco will not effectively address underage use and will leave cigarettes on the shelves as the only choice for adult smokers, even though they kill 40,000 Californians every year”
Source: International Business Times
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