Business owners stunned by influx in customers as major regional ban takes place: 'I was in shock it passed'

A ban on flavored nicotine products in Denver is having ripple effects that stretch outside the city.

Denver's new year began with some of the city's vapers journeying outside of city limits to get their fix, as CBS News detailed. Voters approved the measure, which prohibits the sale of flavored e-cigarettes and vaping products within the city. 

At Tokerz Head Shop in Aurora, a couple of blocks outside of Denver, owner Gordon McMillon has noticed an influx of new customers. 

"I was in shock it passed, to be honest," McMillon told CBS News. "But we're hoping to take care of everybody that doesn't get their needs met over there anymore."

One of McMillon's newest customers is Denver-based Justin Morrison, who vapes daily.

"I'm going to have to come all the way to Aurora to get them," Morrison said. "It's pretty inconvenient."

The ban aims to curb youth vaping, which has been a concern for public health advocates. Many groups accuse flavored vapes of targeting minors through marketing and flavors that appeal to young people.

McMillon expressed concerns that such bans might push former smokers back to cigarettes. 

"If they can't get their vapes, some will go back to cigarettes, for sure," he said.

Still, the negative health impacts of vaping, particularly among young people, can't be ignored. For youth, vapes can hook them on nicotine before any sort of smoking habit is in place. Vaping can also expose them to other toxic additives, opioids, and illegal substances that can find their way into them.

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There's also the environmental toll. The vaping industry contributes to pollution by increasing waste of single-use plastics, toxic e-waste, and improperly discarded lithium batteries.

The Denver ban and vapers' moves around it illustrate the complexity of banning a product like vapes. Even in countries like Mexico that have implemented nationwide bans, critics call the measures unenforceable and an easy way out.

Despite its potential benefits to his business, McMillon was against the ban.

"I feel like adults should have the rights if they want to vape or not," he said.

For now, Aurora remains a legal alternative for Denver customers who continue to search for their preferred products. If it curbs youth vaping remains up for debate, though Morrison is skeptical.

"You're going to find a way to get it," Morrison told CBS News. "That's why I don't see the point of banning it here."

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