Dozens of Paterson students and community advocates told the City Council on June 12 that vape shops and unregulated flavored products are easy for minors to obtain and asked the city to adopt zoning, licensing and inspection rules to reduce youth access.

"There should be a law passed that requires vape shops to be located at least 200 feet away from schools," said Basar Gillespie, an 18‑year‑old Eastside High School student speaking for the Voice and Choice Youth Coalition and related local groups. Several other youth speakers described finding vapes near schools, in parks and on buses.

The presentations included personal accounts, local observations and policy proposals. Daniel Henry, 17, told the council, "Did you know that 1 in 4 Paterson youth vaped in the past month?" Dre Scott, a student and member of the Patterson Prevention Project, cited a National Institutes of Health paper and said about "43 percent of teens ages 15 through 20 obtained vapes from local retailers."

Speakers asked the council to require an annual license for sellers, fund inspections with license fees and create buffer zones around schools, parks and churches. Mia Alvarez, 16, proposed a $1,200 annual license fee for vendors and said the fee could "fully fund regular inspections and enforcement without extra tax dollars," while other presenters called for surprise inspections, stronger penalties, and license seizures for repeat violators.

Council members responded that the policy is already under review. Councilwoman Melissa Mims said the Health and Human Services Committee has been working on vaping legislation and that enforcement features — tickets, inspections and penalties — are being drafted. Corporation Counsel reported a draft ordinance was completed in March 2024 and legal staff have been preparing language that respects state rules.

Council President said staff have been coordinating with police and other departments and suggested a possible timeline: if committee work finishes quickly, a first reading could appear at the July 1 meeting but more likely in August. Council members also urged the administration to provide the youth presenters' materials to every council member for consideration.

No ordinance was voted on June 12. Several council members and the administration said they supported moving the draft through committee and incorporating recommendations from the youth and partner organizations before formal readings on the council floor.

Next steps identified at the meeting included circulating the youth presentation to council members, legal review of the draft ordinance already produced, committee consideration, and scheduling the ordinance for the council's first and second readings when the committee and legal work are complete.