Laurens City issues Red Ribbon Week proclamation; council discusses youth vaping and zoning

The Laurens City Council issued a proclamation recognizing Red Ribbon Week and thanking local volunteers and city staff for drug-awareness efforts. The mayor described his past work in family court and called drug use "a scourge on our community," framing the proclamation as symbolic support for prevention and community action.

Following the proclamation, a councilor raised concerns about the proliferation of vape shops and reported an increase in youth vaping at local schools. The councilor said he had seen several middle-school students involved and asked whether the city could limit locations for such retailers. The mayor said the zoning ordinance governs where retail businesses may locate and offered to refer the issue to the planning commission and bring zoning updates back to council if members wish to pursue changes.

Council members also noted that some vape products contain cannabinoids or synthetic compounds that are legal under state law despite having potency similar to THC, creating enforcement challenges. Chief Copeland (referenced by a councilor) was credited for working with council and staff on these issues. The meeting record shows no ordinance or new regulation was adopted during this session; the council limited discussion to referring potential zoning or policy updates to the planning commission for consideration.

Next steps: mayor offered to place the zoning question on the planning commission agenda and to return recommendations to council for potential ordinance changes.