San Francisco on Tuesday became the first city in the country to ban e-cigarettes after city officials approved an ordinance that prohibits selling nicotine pods or devices that haven’t been approved by the
Food and Drug Administration.
City supervisors last week
voted unanimously 11 to 0 in favor of the measure. San Francisco’s rules require two votes in order for an ordinance to be finalized.
“There is so much we don’t know about the health impacts of these products, but we do know that e-cigarette companies are targeting our kids in their advertising and getting them hooked on addictive nicotine products,” San Francisco mayor London Breed said in a statement.
“We need to take action to protect the health of San Francisco’s youth and prevent the next generation of San Franciscans from becoming addicted to these products.”
Federal regulators are trying to combat what they’re calling an “epidemic” of teen vaping while local governments pursue their own actions, including banning flavors like bubble gum and fruit punch. San Francisco outlawing e-cigarettes altogether marks a harsh rebuke of the industry, particularly market leader Juul, which is headquartered in the city.
