Seal Beach puts freeze on new e-cigarette stores

Citing the growing interest but limited understanding of electronic cigarettes, the small Orange County city of Seal Beach has adopted a moratorium that will prevent any new stores from selling the devices.

After a brief discussion late Monday, the City Council agreed to a 45-day moratorium on any new e-cigarette and smoke shops, as well as drug paraphernalia vendors. Seal Beach officials said they needed time to study the effects of e-cigarettes before making a recommendation to the city.

“It’s a growing trend with lots of pros and cons,” said Jim Basham, Seal Beach director of community development. “It’s a precautionary measure.”

The city’s review would look into banning e-cigarettes from areas where cigarettes already are prohibited and focus on where the devices could be sold.

The device is already sold at liquor stores and gas stations in Seal Beach and at least one store, but they would not be affected by the moratorium, Basham said.

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates e-cigarettes, it hasn’t approved their use or placed any restrictions on the devices. The agency said the safety and effectiveness of e-cigarettes has not been fully studied.

A California bill that would extend existing restriction on smoking tobacco products to e-cigarettes was introduced earlier this year, but has not become law.

“I think it’s a good idea to give staff time to research this,” Seal Beach Mayor Gary Miller said.

A public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 23, when the city could extend the moratorium on smoke shops.

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