E-cig ban proposed

Two San Francisco officials on Tuesday introduced bills that would ban the sale of electronic cigarettes in the city until the US Food and Drug Administration had evaluated their effect on public health, according to a story at cbsnews.com.

Supporters say that if the ban is approved, it will be the first in the country.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Supervisor Shamann Walton also proposed a bill at a Board of Supervisors meeting that would prohibit companies that make, sell and distribute tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, from occupying city-owned property.

The San Francisco Chronicle was quoted as saying that tobacco companies were already barred from doing business on city property, but that the proposed legislation would embrace e-cigarettes.

It wouldn’t apply retroactively, so Juul Labs would be allowed to stay in space it rents for its headquarters at Port of San Francisco property on Pier 70. But, says the Chronicle, e-cigarette companies wouldn’t be able to lease city property in the future.

Juul said in a statement to CBS News that the proposed legislation would limit adult smokers’ access to e-cigarettes that could help them kick regular smoking habits.

‘We encourage the City of San Francisco to severely restrict youth access but do so in a way that preserves the opportunity to eliminate combustible cigarettes,’ Juul said.

“This proposed legislation begs the question – why would the City be comfortable with combustible cigarettes being on shelves when we know they kill more than 480,000 Americans per year?”

Herrera said San Francisco, Chicago and New York had sent a joint letter demanding that the FDA begin its review. He said the review should have been done before e-cigarettes ever hit the market.