Strict E-Cigarette Laws Could Send Smokers Back to the Real Thing

Policymakers see banning e-cigarettes as an easy public health victory. Experts say the plan will backfire.

E-Cigarettes made by Juul are displayed at Smoke and Gift Shop on June 25, 2019 in San Francisco, California. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

In July, San Francisco Mayor London Breed put pen to paper, signing an ordinance to effectively ban the sale of electronic cigarettes, making it the first major city in the United States to put stringent regulations on e-cigarettes.

For several years, e-cigarette companies like Juul have been decried by politicians, the media and even the nation’s top doctor, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, who last year called e-cigarette use “an epidemic among our nation’s young people.”

While Juul use among young people has increased 78% between 2017 and 2018, some health experts fear that bans like San Francisco’s might protect teenagers, but could hurt adult smokers in the process.

“This policy is going to have very detrimental public health effects that either haven’t been foreseen or are somehow being ignored,” said Michael Siegel, a professor at Boston University School of Public Health.

“I think it is going to result in a lot of ex-smokers returning to smoking,” he said, noting that there are at least 2.5 million ex-smokers in the U.S. who have quit traditional cigarettes using vaping devices, but still rely on e-cigarettes to stay off smoking. “These are not just anecdotes. This is a huge segment and their needs are being completely ignored. I think it’s really problematic.”