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San Francisco is 1st major US city to ban e-cigarettes

Critics say the ban will make it harder for adults to buy alternatives to regular cigarettes.
Credit: AP Photo/Steven Senne, File
In this April 11, 2018, file photo, a high school student uses a vaping device near a school campus in Cambridge, Mass. Schools have been wrestling with how to balance discipline with treatment in their response to the soaring numbers of vaping students. Using e-cigarettes, often called vaping, has now overtaken smoking traditional cigarettes in popularity among students, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco became the first major U.S. city to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes after supervisors gave the measure its second and final vote Tuesday.

Backers say they hope the legislation will curb underage use of e-cigarettes, but critics say the ban will make it harder for adults to purchase an alternative to regular cigarettes.

San Francisco is a city that celebrates its marijuana culture, but it appears deeply opposed to other vices. Last year, voters approved a ban on the sale of flavored tobacco and in 2016, a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks.

E-cigarette maker Juul Labs, which is based in San Francisco, says it is opposed to youth vaping.

The company is working on a ballot initiative that would regulate but not ban e-cigarette sales.

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