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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 19 June 2019

San Francisco moves closer to nation’s 1st e-cigarette ban

By SAMANTHA MALDONA- already,” said Carlos Solór-
DO zano, CEO of the Hispanic
Associated Press Chamber of Commerce of
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — San Francisco.
San Francisco supervisors Walton said he would es-
moved a step closer Tues- tablish a working group to
day to becoming the first support small businesses
city in the U.S. to ban all and address their con-
sales of electronic ciga- cerns.
rettes to crack down on Although San Francisco’s
youth vaping. ban is unlike any other
In a unanimous vote, super- in the country, the Pub-
visors approved a ban on lic Health Law Center at
the sale and distribution of Mitchell Hamline School of
e-cigarettes. Law reports that all but two
They also endorsed a ban states have at least one
on manufacturing of e-cig- law restricting youth access
arettes on city property. to e-cigarettes.
The measures will require City voters last year ap-
a subsequent vote before proved a ban on sales of
becoming law. candy and fruit-flavored
“We spent the ‘90s battling tobacco products.
big tobacco, and now we Stanton Glantz, a professor
see its new form in e-cig- of medicine at the Univer-
arettes,” Supervisor Sha- sity of California San Fran-
mann Walton said. cisco Center for Tobacco
The supervisors acknowl- Control and Research and
edged that the legislation a supporter of the mea-
would not entirely prevent sures, said e-cigarettes are
youth vaping, but they associated with heart at-
hoped it would be a start. tacks, strokes and lung dis-
“This is about thinking about ease.
the next generation of us- The presence of e-ciga-
ers and thinking about pro- In this Monday, June 17, 2019, photo, Jacky Chan, 23, takes a vaping break from his job at a rettes, he said, has “com-
tecting the overall health smoke shop in San Francisco. pletely reversed the prog-
and sending a message to Associated Press ress we’ve made in youth
the rest of the state and the uct among young people por products for all adults close. smoking in the last few
country: Follow our lead,” in the country. Last year, in San Francisco will not “We need to enforce the years.”q
Supervisor Ahsha Safaí said. 1 in 5 U.S. high school stu- effectively address under- rules that we have in place
City Attorney Dennis Her- dents reported vaping in age use and will leave
rera said young people the previous month, ac- cigarettes on shelves as CAR RENTAL 5616944
“have almost indiscrimi- cording to a government the only choice for adult Address: Paramira #30 (Oranjestad) - Email: yessrentalcar@gmail.com - Website: www.yessrentalcar.com
nate access to a product survey . smokers, even though they
that shouldn’t even be on FDA spokesman Michael kill 40,000 Californians every We Rent:
the market.” Felberbaum said in a state- year,” Juul spokesman Ted Cars- Vans - SUV
Because the Food and ment that the agency will Kwong said.
Drug Administration has continue to fight e-ciga- Tuesday’s vote also sets the
not yet completed a study rette use, including pre- stage for a November bal-
to assess the public health venting youth access to the lot fight over e-cigarettes.
consequences of e-cig- products, acting against Juul has already contrib-
arettes and approved or manufacturers and retail- uted $500,000 to the Coali-
rejected them, he said, ers who illegally market or tion for Reasonable Vaping
“it’s unfortunately falling to sell the products to minors Regulation, which is set to
states and localities to step and educating young peo- gather signatures to put an
into the breach.” ple about health risks. initiative on the issue be-
Most experts agree that Leading San Francisco- fore voters.
e-cigarettes are less harm- based e-cigarette com- The American Vaping As-
ful than the paper-and- pany Juul frames vaping sociation opposed San
tobacco variety because as a healthier alternative to Francisco’s proposal as
they do not produce all smoking tobacco. well, saying adult smokers
the cancer-causing by- Juul has said it has taken deserve access to less haz-
products found in cigarette steps to deter children from ardous alternatives.
smoke. using its products. “Going after youth is a step
But researchers say they The company said in a that you can take before
are only beginning to un- statement that it has made taking these out of the
derstand the risks of e-cig- its online age-verification hands of adults,” said the
arettes, which they think process more robust and association’s president,
may damage the lungs shut down its Instagram Gregory Conley.
and blood vessels. and Facebook accounts to Groups representing small
Since 2014, e-cigarettes try to discourage vaping by businesses also opposed
have been the most com- those under 21. the measures, which they
monly used tobacco prod- “But the prohibition of va- said could force stores to