San Francisco officials will vote next week to prohibit sales of electronic cigarettes to all ages, a move that would make it the first U.S. city to ban them completely.
The Board of Supervisors in San Francisco approved an ordinance prohibiting the sale, manufacture, and distribution of tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes.
“The widespread use of e-cigarettes by youth has significant public health consequences,” the ordinance stated. “Nicotine exposure during adolescence can harm the developing brain – which continues to develop until about age 25.”
But e-cigarette maker Juul, which holds three-fourths of the U.S. e-cigarette market and is based in San Francisco, pushed back. The company had announced Tuesday it bought an additional office building in San Francisco to expand.
“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 Juul spokesman Ted Kwong.
“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 ordinance passed with a unanimous vote, however, and many board members support the movement to combat smoking nicotine. The second vote on ordinances is generally a formality in the city’s legislative process.
“This legislation would not entirely prevent youth vaping, but we hope it is a start,” said board president Norman Yee. “We’ve created public discourse about the potential danger of this product that is moving us in a better direction.”
Carlos Solórzano-Cuadra, CEO of the Hispanic Chambers of Commerce of San Francisco, said he is “outraged.”
“They have no idea how this is going to impact small businesses and our employees,” Solórzano-Cuadra told the San Francisco Chronicle. “We’re going to oppose it as strongly as we can. They can’t take away a right to choose for adults who want to buy legally.”
