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A state vape ban emptied Philly shop shelves. Council's limit on new vape stores gets a hearing Nov. 17

Since Oct. 19, Pennsylvania has barred sales of nicotine products missing from a state directory. Business districts on South Street and Main Street say they are ready for other tenants. Bill 260851 would keep most new tobacco sellers out of much of the city.

By Philadelphia Politics staffUpdated

Shelves at many Philadelphia vape shops went bare after Pennsylvania began enforcing a new state law on Oct. 19, the Inquirer reported. The law, signed by Gov. Josh Shapiro last year, lets only products listed in a state directory of approved electronic nicotine products be sold. Popular disposables such as Geek Bar and Puff Bar are not on it.

For residents, the question is what happens to the storefronts. In some corridors there is a vape shop on nearly every block. A separate City Council bill would control where new ones can open.

What the Inquirer found

  • On South Street, one store manager said nicotine products were about 30% of the business. Another spent half a shift pulling thousands of dollars of product, the paper reported.
  • Manayunk's Main Street has at least three vape stores.
  • The South Street Headhouse District's executive director said the district would welcome more bars, restaurants and galleries. Manayunk's business district director said she wants "neighborhood-serving businesses."
  • A CBRE retail executive said many vape shops are easy-to-open startups, and the market will decide whether customers go to other states, go online or stay with local stores.
  • Studies from other states suggest the shops won't close all at once. Sales in Louisiana dipped and then rebounded within eight months, the Inquirer reported.

What our records add

This follows our stories on the bill and the city's teen vaping campaign.

  • The bill. Bill 260851, from Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson, creates a "Tobacco Sales" use in the zoning code covering any store that sells tobacco, nicotine or vape products. New sellers could not open within 750 feet of a school, day care, park or another nicotine seller. Gilmore Richardson has said that would effectively bar new vape stores in most of the city, the Inquirer reported. Existing stores would not be forced out.
  • Sponsors. Gilmore Richardson with Brian J. O'Neill and Jeffery Young Jr..
  • Waiting time. Introduced Oct. 15 and sent to the Committee on Rules. It has been in committee 18 days.
  • The hearing. It is on the Rules Committee's Nov. 17 agenda, alongside heritage tree rules, Old City's special services district and Young's late-night store hours bill.
  • District overlays. Council also limits uses one area at a time through overlay districts. Two overlay bills are up for final votes Nov. 12: Bill 260694, from Curtis Jones Jr., which restricts more uses in the Main Street/Manayunk and Venice Island overlay, and Cindy Bass's Bill 260709 in the 8th District. The bill titles do not list which uses.

What's next

The Rules Committee meets Tuesday, Nov. 17, at 10 a.m. in Room 400 of City Hall. Zoning bills also go to the City Planning Commission for review. If the committee approves Bill 260851, it would need two readings before the full Council, so the earliest it could pass is the Dec. 3 session. Free help quitting is available at 1-800-QUIT-NOW; teens can text "KickTheVape" to 88709.