Superior City Council Passes New Vape Store Zoning Ordinance

The Superior City Council has passed a new zoning ordinance meant to limit access to vaping devices, particularly for youth in the area.

Under the new zoning ordinance, the City of Superior will no longer issue new licenses for vape distributors in the City. Stores that currently have that license will be grandfathered in and can still sell the devices, but beginning on January 1 those stores will be limited to only one sign that advertises them hanging outside their building.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, e-cigarettes and vapes have become the most popular tobacco product for youth across the country. Their data found that in 2023 over 2 million students reported that they currently use e-cigarettes, including over 500,000 students that were only in middle school.

The majority of those students also reported that they either wanted to quit or had tried to quit within the previous year. Many students also reported using vape devises to deliver other substances, including cannabis.

According to a Northern News Now report, Superior Mayor Jim Paine says he was encouraged by the number of younger students who spoke out on the issue to the City Council, and the City is planning on other actions meant to stop the issue from getting worse in the next few weeks. Those students reported constantly feeling like the bathrooms and classrooms in their schools were being filled with vaping products.

Officials say that vape advertising is especially aimed at younger people, due to the variety of available flavors, their easy accessibility, and an increased sensitivity to nicotine in the adolescent brain.