March 4 (Bloomberg) — The Los Angeles City Council voted to join New York and Chicago in banning the use of electronic cigarettes in workplaces, restaurants and many public areas, threatening the growth of an industry segment that reached $1.5 billion in sales last year.
By a vote of 14-0, the council of the second-most populous U.S. city approved the measure to treat so-called e-cigarettes the same as conventional tobacco products, which California has restricted since 1995. If Mayor Eric Garcetti signs the legislation, the ban would take effect a month later. Garcetti spokesman Yusef Robb did not immediately respond to an e-mail asking for the mayor's position.
Sales of e-cigarettes reached $1.5 billion in 2013, according to Bloomberg Industries analyst Kenneth Shea, as established industry players including Altria Group Inc., Lorillard Inc. and Reynolds American Inc. marketed the products as safer, tastier alternatives to smoking. Local and state limits on e-cigarettes, which are shaped like conventional cigarettes and vaporize a liquid containing nicotine and flavorings, may curb the growth of the segment, said Cynthia Cabrera, executive director of the Smoke Free Alternatives Trade Association, an electronic cigarettes industry group.
'Very Rapidly'
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