Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
What's Next in San Francisco? Perhaps a Ban on e-Cigarettes.
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
March 20, 2019

Share

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco is trying to crack down on electronic cigarettes that critics say aggressively target kids, with an official on Tuesday proposing what’s believed to be the first U.S. ban on their sale until the federal government regulates vaping products.

“We have people addicted to nicotine who would have never smoked a cigarette had it not been for the attractive products that target our young people.” — San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton

City Attorney Dennis Herrera said San Francisco, Chicago and New York sent a joint letter demanding that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration evaluate the effect of e-cigarettes on public health.

Herrera said the review should have been done before e-cigarettes entered the market. The FDA released proposed guidelines last week giving companies until 2021 to submit applications for the evaluation.

“The result is that millions of children are already addicted to e-cigarettes and millions more will follow if we don’t act,” he said Tuesday.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is addictive and can harm adolescent brains that are still developing. In the U.S., youth are more likely than adults to use e-cigarettes.

San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton introduced legislation banning the sale of e-cigarettes in the city unless they get an FDA review. Supporters say that if the measure is approved, it would be the first such prohibition in the country. Its chances are not clear.

“We have people addicted to nicotine who would have never smoked a cigarette had it not been for the attractive products that target our young people,” said Walton, a former president of the San Francisco Board of Education.

Anti-tobacco activists say e-cigarette makers target kids by offering products in candy flavors and using marketing that portrays their products as flashy gadgets.

An Outright Ban on the Sale of Flavored Tobacco and Flavored Vaping Liquids

San Francisco was the first city in the United States to approve an outright ban on the sale of flavored tobacco and flavored vaping liquids, which voters upheld in 2018. The city prohibits smoking in parks and public squares and doesn’t allow smokeless tobacco at its playing fields.

The city has often been on the forefront in passing liberal social policies that clash with business interests, whether it’s banning single-use plastic bags or the sale of fur products.

In 2018, more than 3.6 million U.S. middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, including nearly 5 percent of middle school students and nearly 21 percent of high school students, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

The FDA declined immediate comment on the letter from the three cities.

Manufacturers were supposed to submit most products for review by August 2018, but FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb in 2017 delayed the deadline until 2022. He said at the time that both the agency and the industry needed more time to prepare.

The agency unveiled proposed guidelines last week moving up the deadline to August 2021 and restricting sales of most flavored products to stores that verify the age of customers upon entry or that use a separate, age-restricted area for vaping products.

In 2018, more than 3.6 million U.S. middle and high school students used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, including nearly 5 percent of middle school students and nearly 21 percent of high school students, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

Walton also introduced legislation that bars making, selling or distributing tobacco on city property. That proposal is aimed at Juul Labs, an electronic cigarette company that rents space on Pier 70.

“We don’t want them in our city,” Walton said.

A spokesman for Juul said the proposed legislation would limit adult smokers’ abilities to access e-cigarettes that could help them kick regular smoking habits.

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

California Proposes Allowing Testing of Self-Driving Heavy-Duty Trucks

DON'T MISS

Higher Taxes on Millionaires? Trump Says He’s Open, but Many in His Party Are Not

DON'T MISS

Ex-US Rep. George Santos Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Prison for Fraud and Identity Theft

DON'T MISS

Selma Mayor Charged With Electioneering Violation on Election Day

DON'T MISS

Fresno Air Improves. Where Does It Rank in the US?

DON'T MISS

As Harris Ponders Run for CA Governor, Is She Prepared for the Daunting Job?

DON'T MISS

Stocks Rise With Tech-Related Shares, Notch Weekly Gains; Dollar Up

DON'T MISS

Conflicting US-China Talks Statements Add to Global Trade Confusion

DON'T MISS

Driving Near the Fresno Airport Next Week? Plan for Road Closures

DON'T MISS

Misty Her: Push for Fresno Unified Turnaround Starts Now With ‘Boots on the Ground’

UP NEXT

Fresno Air Improves. Where Does It Rank in the US?

UP NEXT

California’s Economy Ranks Fourth Worldwide, Surpasses Japan

UP NEXT

Why Texas Is Ahead of California on Bilingual Education

UP NEXT

Abundance Meets Resistance: Are CA Dems Finally Ready to Go All In on Building Housing?

UP NEXT

Less Than Half of Californians Think K-12 Schools Are on the Right Track: Poll

UP NEXT

On Major Economic Decisions, Trump Blinks, and Then Blinks Again

UP NEXT

How Trump Tariffs Could Upend California Farms, Wine Businesses, and Ports

UP NEXT

Survey: Californians Blame Utility Company Spending, Profits for High Electricity Rates

UP NEXT

Chicago Bears Great Steve McMichael Dies at 67 After Battle With ALS

UP NEXT

Long Wait Is Over for Cam Ward, Travis Hunter and Other Draft Prospects Joining the NFL

Selma Mayor Charged With Electioneering Violation on Election Day

1 hour ago

Fresno Air Improves. Where Does It Rank in the US?

1 hour ago

As Harris Ponders Run for CA Governor, Is She Prepared for the Daunting Job?

2 hours ago

Stocks Rise With Tech-Related Shares, Notch Weekly Gains; Dollar Up

2 hours ago

Conflicting US-China Talks Statements Add to Global Trade Confusion

3 hours ago

Driving Near the Fresno Airport Next Week? Plan for Road Closures

3 hours ago

Misty Her: Push for Fresno Unified Turnaround Starts Now With ‘Boots on the Ground’

3 hours ago

Fresno Police Arrest 17 in Domestic Violence Crackdown

3 hours ago

What’s Next for Fresno Smoke Shop Ordinance: Lawsuit, Veto, Override?

4 hours ago

Visalia Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for 2019 Fatal Stabbing

5 hours ago

California Proposes Allowing Testing of Self-Driving Heavy-Duty Trucks

LOS ANGELES — California regulators have released a new proposal to allow the testing of self-driving heavy duty trucks on public roads. The...

37 minutes ago

37 minutes ago

California Proposes Allowing Testing of Self-Driving Heavy-Duty Trucks

43 minutes ago

Higher Taxes on Millionaires? Trump Says He’s Open, but Many in His Party Are Not

46 minutes ago

Ex-US Rep. George Santos Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Prison for Fraud and Identity Theft

Selma Mayor Scott Robertson (left) has been charged with misdemeanor electioneering for allegedly campaigning near voters at a polling place during the November 2024 election. (Facebook)
1 hour ago

Selma Mayor Charged With Electioneering Violation on Election Day

1 hour ago

Fresno Air Improves. Where Does It Rank in the US?

2 hours ago

As Harris Ponders Run for CA Governor, Is She Prepared for the Daunting Job?

2 hours ago

Stocks Rise With Tech-Related Shares, Notch Weekly Gains; Dollar Up

A drone view shows containers at the terminals at the port in Kwai Chung in Hong Kong, China, April 3, 2025. (REUTERS/Tyrone Siu/File Photo)
3 hours ago

Conflicting US-China Talks Statements Add to Global Trade Confusion

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend