San Francisco Electronic Cigarette Sales Ban Heads to November Ballot

SAN FRANCISCO — Voters will head to the polls in November to decide the future of electronic cigarette sales in San Francisco.

A petition movement has been underway to get the issue on the ballot since the San Francisco Board of Supervisors approved legislation to prohibit the sale the electronic cigarettes within the city. The vote made the city the first in the United States to prohibit the sale of e-cigarette and vapor products, as Convenience Store News previously reported.

The Coalition for Reasonable Vaping Regulation announced Wednesday that the San Francisco Department of Elections certified the ballot initiative's signatures. The coalition submitted 20,302 signatures on July 2, according to CBS.

The Department of Elections is expected to give a ballot letter to the proposition on Aug. 12. The election is slated for Nov. 5.

San Francisco-based Juul Labs Inc. is reported to be a backer of the Coalition for Reasonable Vaping Regulation.

The ballot initiative would allow for the sale of electronic cigarettes, but would put in place stronger age restrictions to keep kids and teens from vaping, the news outlet added.

The measure bans the sale of e-cigarette and vapor products that have not been reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The agency has regulatory authority over tobacco products, including e-cigarette and vapor, and the products need FDA approval to remain on the market.

To date, the agency has not issued any approvals.