NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Newport News city leaders voted in favor of enforcing regulations for new vape shops, including preventing them from opening near schools.
The new regulations, approved by city council on Tuesday, require shops that sell vapes — commonly referred to as e-cigarettes — to be at least 2,000 feet from schools and child care centers. They also ban drive-through services and require store windows to be transparent "for visibility and safety," the city says.
An employee of a local vape shop tells News 3 she's glad the city is implementing stricter rules for new vape shops.
"Many kids will like try and sneak in and act like they're adults but they don't have IDs," said Rosalith, who works at Smoke Up on Oyster Point Road.
The new rules will not apply to existing vape stores that are already legally operating, even if they are near schools.
When drafting the new regulations, city leaders decided to change its definition of a vape shop to be broader: the final regulations apply to shops where vapes or vape-related products make up at least 20% of its inventory, display space or sales revenue. Leaders also put rules in place for when the new stores can be open for business.
"Also, we looked at the hours. I don't think you need any business open 24/7, so the operating time will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m," said Mayor Jones.
Mayor Phillip Jones says the push for this is about public safety. City leaders say the changes aim to "prevent illegal activity, limit clustering, and reduce youth exposure and access to vape products."
"I think this generation sometimes has more addictive qualities. Whatever we can do to limit vapes and limit the entry point, that's what we're going to do," said Mayor Jones.
The rising popularity of teen vape use is something Sajada Lewis, a Newport News parent and former school bus driver, has seen first-hand in recent years.
"I would catch kids on the bus with them often, or I'll find them in the seats," said Lewis.
Lewis says youth access to vapes is alarming and she thinks the city's new regulations is a step in the right direction.
"These vape shops are popping up so fast. Every time I turn around, I see another vape shop," Lewis added.
It's unclear how many vape shops are in the city because city leaders say they do not require a specific license. However, when it comes to next steps, city council says the goal now is enforcement and ensuring that current stores sell the appropriate items.
