Atlanta City Council limits where vape shops can open

ATLANTA - The Atlanta City Council has approved an ordinance that limits where vape shops can be located.

What we know:

The new ordinance amends the city's 1982 zoning ordinance to say that vape shops cannot be built within 1,000 feet of schools, prekindergartens, kindergartens, daycare or other child care facilities in Atlanta -- public or private. It also states vape shops cannot be built within 1,000 feet of each other.

The ordinance defines a vape shop as "any business whose principal product line for retail sale is derived from any combination of alternative nicotine products, consumable vapor products, vapor devices and consumable hemp products." The ordinance states that any store where vape sales make up 35% or more of gross sales will fall into this category.

The new regulations begin immediately. 

Dig deeper:

The ordinance was on Monday's agenda and passed unanimously. It was introduced by several council members: Liliana Bakhtiari, Jason Winston, Amir Farokhi, Byron D. Amos, Jason Dozier, Alex Wan, Howard Shook, Dustin Hillis, Andrea L. Boone, Marci Collier Overstreet, Mary Norwood, Matt Westmoreland, Michael Julian Bond and Eshé Collins. 

What they're saying:

The council's ordinance reads, in part, "the City of Atlanta is committed to safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of its residents, particularly children and adolescents… research indicates that the proximity of vape shops to schools may increase the likelihood of youth exposure and use of vaping products."