US e-cigarette giants JUUL are leading the charge on encouraging anti-vaping lawmakers in San Francisco not to ban e-cigarettes entirely.
San Francisco officials want the Californian city to become the first in the US to impose a total ban on e-cigarettes in a bid to help curb youth vaping.
But JUUL have proposed restrictions and regulations of sales instead of a total ban – a sentiment shared by 51 percent of 800 San Francisco voters polled by the vape company.
JUUL and a coalition of corner grocers and adult smokers have begun collecting signatures for a ballot initiative that would impose restrictions on e-cigarette retailers and small corner shops.
One such restriction would involve a maximum purchase of two vaping units and five pod packets at a time, which 71 percent of the 800 polled were on board with.
However, San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton has called this initiative a “smoke screen” according to the San Francisco Chronicle, and said:
“They say they are trying to cure people of nicotine addiction when they are just trading one form of addiction for another.”
It’s unlikely that Walton will be on board with such changes, given that he’s been imperative in pushing for a total ban – but it’s hoped that other officials will come around to the idea.
