A recently passed local ordinance in Texas is receiving widespread attention for finally cracking down on one of the most used and abused products among teenagers today: vapes.
In late August, Rio Grande City commissioners voted to stop approving new permits for vape shops within 1,000 feet of schools, per KRGV. Currently existing stores — of which the city counts at least 15 — are exempt. The new rule is expected to take effect at the end of November.
To hear local officials tell it, this has been a long time coming.
"For the past couple of years, we've been noticing more vape shops coming up," Rio Grande City Planning Director Antonio Cantu said. However, he then noted that vapes have a footprint well beyond their designated stores. "You have grocery stores, you have convenience stores," Cantu said. "Or gas stations that may sell these products."
Given that they are battery-powered, you might be forgiven for thinking that vapes are both less cancerous to humans and less environmentally destructive than plain-old cigarettes. And yes, they technically may be "better" than cigarettes — whatever that means — but make no mistake: Vapes are still incredibly poisonous devices — for vape users and for those around them.
In addition to the destructive chemicals (which cause lung disease and other health problems) that vapes contain, everything from their creation to their afterlife as litter is detrimental to the environment. In this particular case, the littering of vapes can cause the many chemicals within to leach into surrounding soil and water, damaging nearby natural ecosystems as well.
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As far as this local Texas ban goes, it's relatively small-stakes, given the scale of the issue nationwide. But you have to start somewhere, and a flat-out ban is as good a place as any.
"We [just] don't want students and youth to look at this product," Cantu said.
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