If you’ve spent any time walking around San Francisco lately you’ve probably seen signs in corner stores about Proposition C. It's about e-cigarettes and it’s sparked one of the most impassioned debates going on in the city this electoral season.
But wait. Didn’t we vote on something like this last year? Yes. In 2018, San Franciscans overwhelmingly passed Prop E which banned the sale of flavored tobacco.
Prop C is a little different. This ballot measure focuses on e-cigarettes and the age of the consumer. It would regulate the sale of flavored tobacco the way alcohol is regulated. Instead of an outright ban, Proposition C prohibits the sale of e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 21; requires an ID scan of potential consumers; and toughens the fines for infractions.
The proposition was initially funded with about 11 million dollars from Juul, the San Francisco-based company that accounts for about 70 percent of vaping products’ sales. But, on October 1st, Juul announced it was pulling its support for Prop C .The measure is still favored by a group called Coalition for Reasonable Vaping Regulation which say it gives adults choices.
And who is against Proposition C? A group called SF Kids vs. Big Tobacco, which is a coalition of parents, health organizations, and community groups. They say that Prop C weakens the current tobacco lawsand is misleading.
The bottom line is if you want vaping products to be available for purchase for people over 21, vote YES on Prop C. If you want the ban on flavored tobacco to stay in place, Vote No on Prop C.
