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Planning staff outlines options to regulate vape and tobacco retailers; council weighs distance rules and licensing
Summary
Planning staff presented a study of local and regional regulatory approaches to vape and tobacco retail sales and offered options such as distance restrictions from schools, separate definitions for vape shops, licensing tweaks or a new land‑use category in the Unified Development Code.
City planning staff on Jan. 29 presented a study on possible local regulations for tobacco and vape retailers, including options for distance restrictions, licensing and zoning to reduce youth exposure and regulate storefront marketing and location.
Vance Baldwin, assistant planning director, summarized the research the office conducted across Louisiana municipalities and peer cities in the Southeast. "We looked at the range of approaches," Baldwin told the council. "Some places treat these as a retail sale and others have specific categories and distance requirements. Each approach has trade‑offs for enforcement and for how quickly regulations adapt to new products."
The study identified several options for council consideration: - Maintain current practice and rely on Title 12 (Clean Air Act) and general retail rules; - Create a new ordinance adding definitions for vapor and alternative…
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