Aurora Metropolis Council made it official Monday, approving a brand new tobacco licensing program that can crack down on shops that promote merchandise, like e-cigarettes and vaping cartridges, to these below 21 — with punishment beginning at a $1,000 effective all the best way to license revocation.
The measure, which handed unanimously, limits the place new tobacco retailers in Aurora can find — no nearer than 1,500 toes to colleges or 2,000 toes to a different tobacco vendor — in an try to forestall over-concentration of shops within the metropolis.
Current retailers might be exempted from the spacing limits. The town has about 340 tobacco retailers.
The ordinance additionally covers gross sales of kratom and sure psychoactive hemp merchandise to minors, and it offers the town higher oversight of hookah lounges. The brand new regulation doesn’t ban the sale of flavored tobacco merchandise, as was licensed by voters in neighboring Denver final fall.
The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention warns that tobacco merchandise comprise extremely addictive nicotine and may hurt an adolescent’s creating mind. The 2023 Wholesome Children Colorado Survey discovered that just about 84% of Aurora youths who tried to purchase tobacco or vape merchandise within the metropolis had been in a position to take action, regardless of not being of authorized age.
The council handed the measure on first studying unanimously final month.
A primary violation of the age restrict by a tobacco retailer might be $1,000. A second violation will get a retailer proprietor a $2,000 effective and a seven-day suspension. And a 3rd strike will elevate the effective to $2,650 and the suspension to 21 days.
A retailer that violates the ordinance a fourth time inside three years will lose its license.
A license will value a enterprise that sells tobacco merchandise $500 yearly, which is able to assist pay for 2 compliance checks a 12 months by the town. Aurora tasks this system will generate about $170,000 a 12 months, with a further $30,000 anticipated from fines.
Metropolis spokesman Joe Rubino stated license functions from shops gained’t be accepted for a few months as the town works to face up the brand new program.
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