San Francisco will become the first city in the United States to ban the sale and manufacture of electronic cigarettes.
The city’s board of supervisors unanimously voted in favour of an ordinance that prohibited the sale of e-cigarettes that are not approved by the United States Food and Drug authorities. As of today, none of the electronic cigarettes in the market have.
The ban applies to brick-and-mortar stores, online retailers, and online retailers that deliver such products in San Francisco. It also applies to flavoured tobacco products.
The law would enforce a penalty of $1000 for each violation.
Proponents of the ban said that this was a much-needed step due to the dramatic rise of the use of e-cigarettes among teenagers and the youth. However, opponents of the ban said that this would drive smokers back to the traditional cigarette.
In recent years though, there has been a growing concern over the consequences of vaping, the act of inhaling or exhaling the vapour produced by an electronic cigarette. While more studies and research needs to be conducted into the possible health consequences of vaping, many argue that it could lead to addiction among smokers.
While e-cigarettes do not contain the cancer-causing products present in tobacco, they still contain nicotine, which is highly addictive.
Only in 2018, the number of young Americans that used e-cigarettes grew by a massive 1.5 million.
The mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, has ten days to sign the legislation. However, she has indicated that she will. Consequently, the ban will come into place seven months after this.
Interestingly, San Francisco is home to one of the leading producers of e-cigarettes, Juul.
What do you think about this ban on e-cigarettes? Is it justified? Do let us know your views.
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