On Tuesday, San Francisco became the first US city to ban the sale, distribution or manufacturing of electronic cigarettes, while SF-based Juul threatened the move would lead to more cigarette smoking.
“This temporary moratorium wouldn’t be necessary if the federal government had done its job,” said City Attorney Dennis Herrera. “E-cigarettes are a product that, by law, are not allowed on the market without FDA review. For some reason, the FDA has so far refused to follow the law. If the federal government is not going to act, San Francisco will.”
Juul responded to the final vote in a written statement to media, saying the ban will cause new challenges for the city.
“This full prohibition will drive former adult smokers who successfully switched to vapor products back to deadly cigarettes, deny the opportunity to switch for current adult smokers, and create a thriving black market instead of addressing the actual causes of underage access and use,” writes Juul spokesman Ted Kwong.
