(La Porte, IN) - LaPorte officials are looking to discourage the opening of additional smoke and vape shops they feel already exist here in great enough numbers.
The city council Monday night was presented with a measure that requires any new smoke and vape shops received approval from the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals before opening.
The proposal also requires smoke and vape shops from being within 1,000 feet of a school and other places where children traditionally gather.
Currently, Mayor Tom Dermody said those establishments can set up shop anywhere in retail areas of the city without having to seek permission from a local governing body.
He said the use of such products by minors, in particular, is a problem nationwide.
“We know what’s happening with underage vaping and how accessible and available this is and we need to do our part,” he said.
Councilwoman Lauren Huffman, who submitted the proposal, cited figures from the Centers for Disease Control showing 2.1 million middle school children vape nationwide to illustrate her support for the measure.
She believes fewer children will take up smoking and vaping if they’re not influenced as much by their presence in the community.
Huffman said there have also been issues with vape products being sold locally to minors despite state law prohibiting the sale of such products to anyone under 18.
“I’m on board,” she said.
The council is expected to vote on the measure at its next meeting on August 5.
Huffman said another reason she took the lead on the proposal was to keep such establishments from opening downtown. She said smoke and vape stores are not a good mix for the family type atmosphere preferred to attract more people into downtown.
“I want to make sure that all of the stores, shops, retailers in that area cater to families and anything unhealthy like smoking, vaping is kind of away from where families gather,” she said.
Dermody said he also believes limiting the number of such establishments could help further move the needle toward a healthier community.
For years, LaPorte has consistently ranked toward the bottom statewide for the health of its residents based on factors like smoking and obesity rates.
“Anybody that would like to debate the issue of our lack of health, which is slowly improving, can go to the Health Foundation of LaPorte to look at those numbers,” he said.
HFL contributes funding to projects like construction of trails and other forms of recreation in hopes of meeting its goal of LaPorte being among the healthiest communities in Indiana by 2030.
“We’re not stopping any vape or smoke retailers from coming and opening a business in LaPorte. It’s just giving an extra look to see if it’s an appropriate site for them to open up shop,” she said.
