The legislation passed unanimously at the Board of Supervisors
SAN FRANCISCO (June 18, 2019) — City Attorney Dennis Herrera issued the following statement after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to pass the e-cigarette legislation:
“San Francisco has never been afraid to lead. That will always be the case when the health of our children is on the line. I want to thank the Board of Supervisors for taking this pioneering step to protect our youth. This temporary moratorium wouldn’t be necessary if the federal government had done its job. E-cigarettes are a product that, by law, are not allowed on the market without FDA review. For some reason, the FDA has so far refused to follow the law. Now, youth vaping is an epidemic. If the federal government is not going to act to protect our kids, San Francisco will.
This legislation takes a reasoned approach. It doesn’t ban e-cigarettes outright. It simply says that if a tobacco product is required to have FDA approval to be on the market, it can’t be sold in San Francisco until it receives that approval. That’s just common sense. If Juul or any company like it wants to sell their product in San Francisco, they should apply to the FDA today for review. If their product really has some kind of benefit to smokers, as they claim, why haven’t they already submitted it for the required review? If their product is actually a benefit to public health, rather than a lure to addict another generation, they have the opportunity to get certified before this legislation takes effect.”
Additional information is available on the City Attorney’s website at: www.sfcityattorney.org.
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