A bill that was thought to have been passed in California banning the sale of electronic cigarettes in September 2009 has in fact not been made law as Governor Arnold Schwarzeneger declined to sign it.
A press release in October 2009 confirmed that the governor had indeed declined to sign the Bill400 that was passed by the Californian Senate on September 11th 2009.
The bill was originally written as “The Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program”, and then was amended to ban the sale of electric cigarettes to minors, which was very supportable. Additional wording in the bill would have also banned the sale of electronic cigarettes in the state of California to adults.
In a statement on the California Government web site, Governor Schwarzenegger made it clear that there is a difference between the freedoms of adults and children. In the letter, the governor made the following comments.
“I am returning Senate Bill 400 without my signature. While I support restricting access of electronic cigarettes to children under the age of 18, I cannot sign a measure that also declares them a federally regulated drug when the matter is currently being decided through pending litigation. Items defined as “tobacco products” are legal for anyone over the age of 18. If adults want to purchase and consume these products with an understanding of the associated health risks, they should be able to do so unless and until federal law changes the legal status of these tobacco products. For this reason, I am unable to sign this bill. Sincerely, Arnold Schwarzenegger”
California had been instrumental in banning smoking in public places in the USA and the ‘ban’ on e cigarettes looked like they would be among the first places to stop sales of the alternative smoking aids.
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