Atlanta bans vape shops near schools

“This law is about protecting our children — full stop,” said council member Liliana Bakhtiari, who introduced the legislation. “When a vape shop opens next to a school, that’s not coincidence.”

“The city of Atlanta is drawing the line between a largely unregulated industry and those within our community most susceptible to its harmful consequences,” she said.

The new rules also apply to businesses near day care facilities and prekindergarten programs. It’s unclear how many current businesses will be impacted.

In Georgia, it’s illegal for anyone under 21 years old to use electronic cigarettes. But critics argue that advertising tactics — such as offering candy-flavors and promoting them on social media — make school-age children easy targets.

Last year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found that nearly 6% — or more than 1.6 million — of middle and high school students across the country actively use vape products. It was a slight decline from the nearly 8% of school-age children who reported using the year prior.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported there were 22,209 incidents of students disciplined for vaping during the 2022-23 school year in Georgia.

The legislation passed by the City Council also mandated a new 1,000-foot distance buffer between vape shops.

The state is still struggling to pass its own meaningful regulations on electronic cigarettes and vape products.

The issue has come up in nearly every legislative session in recent years, but with limited success. The state increased the minimum purchasing age from 18 to 21 years old in 2021, and vaping in smoke-free areas became a misdemeanor in 2023.

Other proposals — such as increasing the tax rate on vapor products, preventing smoking inside vehicles when traveling with minors and increasing penalties to businesses who sell to minors — have failed.