San Francisco is the first city in the world to ban the sale and use of E-Cigarettes within its city limits. This is the most extreme action that any government has taken.
SAN FRANCISCO MERCHANTS WILL HAVE SIX MONTHS TO DISTRIBUTE THEIR STOCK PRIOR TO THE FULL EFFECT OF THE E-CIGARETTE BAN.
The same city is also taking steps to create safe injection sites for heroin addicts.
It is not logical for a city to remove a tool that has helped many smokers quit smoking.
This ordinance does not prohibit vaping. It simply states that it is banned in San Francisco if the product requires FDA approval. Ex-smokers using vape to quit smoking traditional cigarettes.
No vape manufacturers have submitted their products to the FDA yet for marketing approval.
Why?
The FDA is not certain that it will approve the application. Three years after the announcement of the rule, the Pre-Market Tobacco Application has barely released the guidance.
It is absurd that traditional cigarettes are still sold. It is the number one cause of preventable deaths in America, with 480,000 deaths annually. The alternative to quitting cigarettes has been forced out.
Ironically, the face and leader of the vape market, Juul, is located in San Francisco. Juul Labs purchased a 28-story office building in San Francisco. They have no intention of moving anytime soon, even after the ban.
This is not true for smaller, independent vape shops. They have six months to create a plan of action for their business after the mayor has signed it.
Juul, along with other manufacturers, is leading an initiative on the ballot to overturn this prohibition. The ban will only be lifted if the industry receives enough signatures.
This is a hypothetical idea. San Francisco’s officials did something real. To remove E-cigs while leaving traditional cigarettes to be almost negligent in public health. Is it a one-time trial, or is this a slippery path that could spell doom to vapers?