Want create site? Find Free WordPress Themes and plugins.

After approving an early version of electronic cigarette regulations back in July, San Diego’s City Council made some changes. If a vote passes the regulations today, the bill will be sent to mayor Kevin Faulconer to be signed. The bill will require shop owners to obtain a police permit in order to sell e-cigs and will prohibit e-cig sales through vending machines. As well, use of e-cigs will be prohibited anywhere that smoking is too.

Though the bill is likely to hurt e-cig sales in the city, the current version does cut a bit from the July version which would have dramatically restricted the marketing and advertising of e-cig products. But this minor concession seems unlikely to reduce what may ultimately hurt both e-cig sellers and smokers in the city.

You can read more about the bill here.

It’s unclear what will be required to obtain the police permit necessary to sell electronic cigarettes. It seems likely to be an intentional hazy gateway for sellers which effectively bans sales without having to say that it does. This has happened in other places where permits are required and the process to get them is lengthy and costly. It allows lawmakers to say that they aren’t banning something even when the effect is that something is no longer sold. Even if some sellers do get the permit, it seems likely to cut availability of the products significantly.

Even the marketing and advertising concession made on the bill appears likely to be revisited. The City Attorney’s Office has indicated that after further study of the issue, it may well present an adaptation to the bill that circumvents some recent court decisions which make advertising and marketing controls problematic to implement.

It seems likely that the current version of the bill will pass.