Pittsburgh City Council advances rules for new vape shops, though existing stores unaffected

Pittsburgh City Council advanced a plan on Wednesday to regulate new vape shops, more than half a year after the proposal was introduced. The policy would limit where new shops can operate, primarily banning them from Downtown and many main-street areas, and prohibiting them from opening within 1,000 feet of any elementary or secondary school. New shops would only be allowed in specific zoning districts and would require a special exception zoning meeting. Additionally, shops would be barred from operating between 11:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m. and would not be allowed to offer self-service sales. These rules would not apply to shops that have already opened; existing locations would be grandfathered in. Councilor Erika Strassburger noted that while the measures are not perfect because they cannot retroactively close existing shops, they are a necessary step to stem the tide of unregulated substances. The bill was revised from its original version, which would have banned shops from being within 1,500 feet of schools and other locations, because the original limits would have effectively banned vape shops from the city entirely, a violation of state law. Councilors emphasized that while they are prohibited from zoning a business out of existence, they can use zoning as a tool to heavily restrict where certain types of businesses are allowed. The regulations are seen as especially important with the rise of products like synthetic marijuana, which can harm children's health and development. Council is set to hold a final vote on the bill next week.

(Source：Wesa)