San Francisco becomes the first United States city to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes until their health effects are clearly established. Juul Labs, a manufacturer of the most popular electronic cigarette “Juul”, is headquartered in San Francisco and controls about 70% of the United States vaping market. Upon San Francisco’s mayor signing this legislation, the law will be enforced seven months from the date of signature.
Instead of waiting for the United States Food and Drug Administration to begin evaluating cigarette products in 2021 to then issue guidelines, the city has taken matters into their own hands to protect its citizens. San Francisco’s City Attorney praised the move and said it was necessary because of an “abdication of responsibility” by the FDA in regulating cigarettes. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of teenagers who admitted using nicotine products rose about 36% last year.