California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced yesterday that he was vetoing California Senate Bill 400, which would have banned the sale of electronic cigarettes in California. In his veto message, Schwarzenegger indicated that he would have supported legislation that restricted the sale of electronic cigarettes to minors, but that he does not support an outright ban on the sale of electronic cigarettes in the state.
It does not appear that the bill has enough support in the Senate to override this veto, so it is unlikely that the sale of electronic cigarettes will be banned in California.
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This is a great victory for the public's health, as it ensures that ex-smokers who have quit successfully using electronic cigarettes will be able to stay off cigarettes rather than being forced to return to cigarette smoking, which is far more dangerous than vaping.
It is also a blow to anti-smoking groups' efforts to ban the sale of electronic cigarettes.
Of course, it is a great irony that the defeat of a policy for which anti-smoking groups are pushing represents a victory for the public's health. One would have thought that these groups would have the best interests of the public's health in mind.
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