HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Hendersonville city leaders are moving to limit the number of vape shops in the city as vaping products have become increasingly popular across Tennessee and the United States over the past decade.
The city council gave initial approval to an ordinance that would require vape shops to maintain at least 1,000 feet of distance from each other and from nearby schools. The move aims to prevent kids from accessing vaping products while controlling the proliferation of vape retailers.
"We are looking at dealing with vape stores similar to how we handle liquor stores. We only have four liquor stores in Hendersonville," Mayor Jamie Clary said.
Ashley Smothers, who owns New Ashes Market and Vape with her husband, has witnessed the transformation of Hendersonville's retail landscape firsthand.
"Used to be stores like this was the only place you could buy a vape," Smothers said. "Now you can buy them anywhere and there's vape stores on every corner."
Despite the potential impact on competition, Smothers supports the proposed restrictions.
"Limiting such a big space for you know the same thing that you can find on every single corner I think it would just be it would be good for the community," Smothers said.
She acknowledged that reducing the number of competitors would also benefit her business financially.
The proposed ordinance represents Hendersonville's effort to prevent every corner from being dominated by vape retailers while addressing concerns about youth access to vaping products.
Want to see how vape shops are changing your community? Watch our full report and share your thoughts on local business regulations. Have a story tip about retail changes in your neighborhood? Contact Kim at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com
In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.
It's migratory season for billions of animals across the United States. That means millions of birds and butterflies will take a rest stop in Tennessee and Kentucky as they move south for winter. Tennessee state parks are working to create vital habitat for the migrating monarchs. You may be able to follow their lead around your home to help reverse a declining monarch population.
- Lelan Statom
