In the Bay Area, Richmond and Livermore’s officials are looking into bills that will ban the sale of e-cigarettes. San Francisco was the first to enact this ban, motivating the smaller Bay Area cities to prohibit the sale of vape products.
The mayor of Richmond, Tom Butt, is planning on bringing a similar bill by mid-July, which would result in almost 70 tobacco operators being impacted.
The mayor’s chief of staff Alex Knox said, “The mayor recognizes the many reasons that e-cigarettes are harmful products, especially for our youth. The city has already taken a clear stance on prohibiting tobacco products that similarly are designed to be easily consumed and have an increased appeal among youth.” Knox has acknowledged the issue regarding vape-use among teens and young adults, pushing for the ban as a “follow-up to the flavored tobacco and pack-size restrictions” that were instilled last year.
Knox has made statements regarding where Juul’s stand in this ban and replied that they would attempt to block the ban.
“It’s not something we’ve discussed or weighed… I think the leadership here has been very willing to put their policy priorities forward and not to be intimidated by that kind of response,” Knox said.
Livermore first introduced the new bill this past Monday that would prohibit the sale of e-cigarettes and e-liquids. This is part of a much broader ban that would keep tobacco retailers at least 1,000 feet away from schools, parks, libraries, and day care centers.
Livermore will continue to speak on the measure on July 8, and if it passes, it will go into effect August 8.
This is just the beginning of the attempts to ban vape products and e-cigarettes in California. With San Francisco and other Bay Area locations following, there is little doubt other cities throughout the state will follow suit.
