HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — Hillsborough County leaders are looking to make vaping less accessible to teens, calling the issue an epidemic.
County Commissioners are considering an ordinance that would prevent new vape shops from opening within 500 feet of a school.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Michael Owen introduced the ordinance.
“We see a lot of these vape shops that are opening up pretty close to schools and when you drive around and look at some of these vape shops, you see cartoon characters, I’ve walked in them before. It looks very enticing to young people,” Commissioner Owen said.
On Wednesday, County Commissioners held the first of two required public hearings to be able to enact a 180-day moratorium on vape shops opening within 500 feet of a school.
If passed, commissioners would then need to change the land development code.
“A moratorium will just put that temporary fix in place so that the actual ordinance gets drafted,” Commissioner Owen said.
Earlier this year, the county reported that out of 2,000 businesses permitted in the county to sell vape products, around 200 are within 500 feet of a school.
County Commissioners passed the ordinance back then, but within weeks it was superseded by state regulations that have seen been lifted.
“That has been lifted as of a few weeks ago,” Commissioner Owen said.
Now commissioners are hoping to pass it again.
“I’m very confident that it’s going to pass,” he added.
The ordinance would not apply to existing vape shops, only new ones.
“I have kids of my own and it’s almost like putting candy in front of a kid’s face. We don’t want to do that,” said Dannie Jones who owns Smokey Jones Smoke & Vape Shop in Hillsborough County. He’s also a parent and supports the idea of keeping vape shops away from schools.
“The law right now we really press it, 21 and up is what the legal age is,” said Jones, whose store is not within 500 feet of a school.
While Jones supports the proposed ordinance, he thinks it’s going to take a lot more to keep teens from vaping.
“It’s a problem, but I think it’s not necessarily where they’re getting it from. It’s how they’re getting it and who’s allowing it, a lot of parents are allowing this too,” said Jones.
