Roswell Wants Stores To Require ID To Buy E-Cigarettes

ROSWELL, GA — The Roswell City Council on Monday approved the first reading of an amendment to its ordinance addressing the sale of vaping and alternative nicotine products.

Council members unanimously approved adding a new section under 13.1 of its ordinance to require proper identification to purchase cigarettes, tobacco and tobacco-related products, including e-cigarettes and vaping products.

The new section states retailers selling traditional and alternative nicotine products must require buyers to present legal identification showing their age to be over 18 before any purchase can be made. The second reading of the ordinance's amendment will be held at the Jan. 14, 2019, City Council meeting.

Mayor Lori Henry sponsored the amendment a few months after the subject was planted into her mind during a conversation she had with a mother about the "growing popularity among teens of flavored e-cigarettes and vaping devices," she said on her Facebook page.

RELATED: Roswell Bans E-Cigarettes in Parks

According to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention, the use of e-cigarettes is "unsafe" for children, teenagers and young adults. Most of these devices contain nicotine, a highly addictive substance the agency says can negatively impact brain development in adolescents, and other harmful substances. The CDC also contends young users of e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke cigarettes as they get older.

You can learn more about the CDC's report on e-cigarettes in young people by visiting its website.

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