A new law, possibly the first of its kind in the United States, has been proposed by officials in San Francisco to ban sales of e-cigarettes in the state until their health effects have been evaluated by the U.S. government. This unique proposed legislation aims to reduce the rising usage of e-cigarettes among the youth.
The FDA, a national regulator, released its proposed guidelines last week and gave companies until 2021 to apply for the evaluation of their e-cigarette products. The deadline had initially been set for August last year but the Food and Drug Administration had said at that time that more preparation time was required.
San Francisco city attorney Dennis Herrera, who is one of the co-authors of this proposed bill, says that evaluation of these products should have been carried out before they were sold. A second law would prevent companies from making, selling or distributing tobacco on city property. It’s likely aimed at Juul, a popular e-cigarette company, which rents space on Pier 70.
The company said in a statement that while it supports reducing vaping among the youth, it remains the only way to eliminate access to regular, combustible cigarettes. Activists against such companies argue that they are deliberately targeting young consumers by offering flavored products.
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