By JAN McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
A temporary moratorium on more vape and smoke shops in Bowling Green will be introduced Monday evening at the City Council meeting.
The resolution seeks to curtail the proliferation of vape shops and their potential dangers to the city and its residents. Of particular concern, city officials are aware of numerous reports of underage vaping.
A Google search for vape shops in Bowling Green shows 12 establishments currently in business.
A temporary moratorium would allow for time to review information and health data regarding the items sold in these shops. This legislation is sponsored by the Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee of BG City Council.
If approved, the moratorium will last one year from its effective date, during which the city will not accept, process or approve any new applications or issue any new permits, licenses, variances or any zoning applications from or for vape/smoke establishments in Bowling Green.
Municipalities have the power to enact planning and zoning laws for the health, safety, welfare, comfort and peace of citizens, including restricting areas used for business and trade.
One reading will be requested at Monday’s meeting. Three readings are required before a resolution can be voted on by council.
Vaping trends among youth and its health effects have been studied by at least two entities in Wood County – through the Behavioral Health Barometer among Wood County youth, and by the Wood County Health Department.
In recent years, as public health saw the downward trend of cigarette smoking, it saw a climb in vaping. Smokers reportedly viewed vaping as a way to wean themselves off cigarettes, and others saw it as a safe alternative to cigarettes.
Both viewpoints are risky and wrong, according to public health officials.
Vaping remains the most common method of nicotine consumption among adolescents, and seems to have replaced or supplemented the use of cigarettes.
But vaping is far from harmless. The process typically delivers nicotine, harming the developing brain, according to the 2024 report on Behavioral Health Barometer among Wood County youth. Teens are particularly vulnerable to the effects of nicotine since the brain is still developing during these years through young adulthood.
While local vaping has seen a decline among high school students, the rates among college students remain high, according to Beth Peery, director of education and engagement at the Wood County Health Department.
National studies have shown that 75% of college students have tried vaping nicotine, and nearly 25% use it every day, Peery said.
“It’s easier for a younger person to get addicted,” Peery said. “It’s easier to consume more nicotine with vaping since it tastes good.”
Vaping is less conspicuous than cigarettes in public places, plus it’s marketed as “fruity” and “fresh” with flavors like watermelon and cotton candy. Vaping is promoted as chic – and compact, now being the size of a flash drive.
While the legal age for purchasing is 21, vapes are often sold out of vending machines.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, research suggests vaping is bad for hearts and lungs. Electronic cigarettes aren’t the best smoking cessation tool, since e-cigs are just as addictive as traditional ones.
The result is a whole new generation getting hooked on nicotine.
According to the Centers for Disease Control:
- A person using an e-cigarette inhales aerosol into their lungs. Bystanders can also breathe in the aerosol when the person using the e-cigarette breathes the aerosol out.
- E-cigarettes typically contain nicotine, the addictive substance in cigarettes and other tobacco products. Some e-cigarettes can also be used to deliver cannabis and other drugs.
- E-cigarettes often come in bright colors. They are also available in flavors that appeal to young people, like fruit, candy, menthol, and mint.
- As of September 2023, more than 6,000 different e-cigarette products were available for purchase in the U.S. Disposable e-cigarettes in youth-appealing flavors are the most commonly sold device type.
- In September 2023, e-cigarette sales totaled $524.6 million.
