Alpharetta moves toward tightening laws around tobacco, vape shops

The Clark County Combined Health District has released their annual youth behavior survey. The survey showed some improvements in youth behavior, like a 17.5% decrease in the amount of students who reported having five drinks or more in row, but also showed negative declines, like 45.8% of students have tried vaping. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

The Clark County Combined Health District has released their annual youth behavior survey. The survey showed some improvements in youth behavior, like a 17.5% decrease in the amount of students who reported having five drinks or more in row, but also showed negative declines, like 45.8% of students have tried vaping. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Alpharetta is the latest city to consider tightening laws around vape and tobacco shops.

The Alpharetta City Council voted Monday night move closer toward restricting where such shops can go and how they are defined.

Alpharetta is set to decide that any business with more than 10% of its sales from cigars, cigarettes, vape or tobacco products can not be within 2,000 feet of the following places: a school, religious institution, government building, park, residential dwelling or another smoke/vape shop.

Milton and Johns Creek both decided to not allow any shop with 25% of its business from vaporized nicotine products.

Alpharetta has been looking to find a way to ban vape shops, citing safety concerns.

READ | Milton bans synthetic marijuana, opiates after teen incidents

The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month released a statement about the first death linked to vaping.

Vapes and e-cigarettes have a small heating element that turns liquid nicotine — often mixed with flavoring — into a vapor that doesn’t linger in the air like tobacco smoke.

About a week and a half ago, the Georgia Department of Public Health said there are three confirmed cases of lung illnesses due to vaping in the state and said staff are reviewing 10 other possible cases.

That followed a call from President Donald Trump crack down on flavored e-cigarettes.

READ | Vaping deaths: What we know about the vaping-linked disease

Closer to home, an Alpharetta student in October became unconscious after vaping "Green Mist" while at King's Ridge Christian School. Reports indicate the product was purchased from a Milton vape shop.

The issue of distance between vape shops and ease of access came up a month ago when the Alpharetta City Council denied an application for a vape shop.

The conversation was brief Monday night before the unanimous vote over the new proposed rules, which needs one more City Council vote to become law.

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