LACONIA, N.H. (AP) — A New Hampshire vape shop that’s about a quarter of a mile down the road from a high school is at risk of being denied a license to continue operating.
Laconia City Manager Scott Myers said in a letter earlier this week that the City Council suggested the state Liquor Commission consider the community impact before issuing a license, the Laconia Daily Sun reported.
New state regulations require vape shops to be licensed, and feedback is solicited from the community, said Grace McInnis, a spokeswoman for the commission.
Laconia High School, merely steps from the vape shop, has installed detectors in its bathrooms to stop students from vaping. The principal has listed vaping as one of the top concerns for student health.
The owner of Raven Vapes, Tom Slawniak, said anyone under 18 years old is not allowed in his store. He said he asks customers if they are trying to end a cigarette habit when buying vaping products.
“If they say, ‘No, I just want to try,’ we try to talk them out of it and I’m not even kidding,” Slawniak said, adding that he’s confident he’ll get a license to continue to operate his business.
Beginning in January, sales of all of the state’s smoking products will be restricted to those 19 or older.
One of the ideas behind the new restriction was to make it harder for 18-year-old high schoolers to buy products for younger classmates.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.