SF’s Proposed E-Cigs Ban Would Snuff Out Local Business, Store Owners Say
About 730 SF tobacco retailers would take a massive hit by the proposed ban
To Chris Chin, owner of the Gone With the Smoke vapor shop in San Francisco, the city’s proposed legislation to ban the sale of e-cigarettes would mark an end to his nearly six-year run in the Tenderloin neighborhood.
“They’re going to absolutely put me out of business, 100%,” said Chin, who in recent weeks has delayed restocking many of his products in case the legislation passes. “I’d have to change product, go to something totally different, like clothing, perfume, makeup, I have no idea,” Chin said. “That’s what I’m going to have to figure out, what I’m going to do next. If I don’t, I’m screwed because I’m on the hook for another year and a half on my lease. I’d have to scramble to find a sublease.”
Chin is one of about 730 San Francisco tobacco retailers whose business would take a hit or be snuffed out entirely by the proposed ban on e-cigarettes, which City Attorney Dennis Herrera and Supervisor Shamann Walton are spearheading as an attempt to curb youth vaping. The ban, which includes online sales to San Francisco addresses, would last until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration conducts a review to ensure the safety of e-cigarettes.
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