Danbury Moves Forward With New Ordinance Targeting Vape Shops

According to the City of Danbury, the City Council has taken another step toward putting stricter rules in place for vape shops and smoke shops operating around town. A proposed Vape Shop Ordinance has officially moved to a public hearing, although a date for that hearing has not yet been announced.

The move is part of the city's ongoing effort to get a better handle on these businesses and make sure they're playing by the rules. According to the city, officials spent much of the past year and a half working under a moratorium that prevented new vape shops from opening in Danbury. Because these businesses are considered a pre-existing, nonconforming use, the only new operators allowed during that period were those taking over existing vape shop locations.

That moratorium gave the Danbury Police and Health departments more time to look into existing businesses and determine whether they're properly licensed with the State of Connecticut.

The proposed ordinance would take things a step further, giving the city another tool to hold businesses accountable when they're caught illegally selling cannabis. City officials say establishments that aren't following the law can create serious problems, particularly when it comes to keeping these products away from children.

The mayor also made it clear that this is an issue he feels strongly about, both as someone who grew up in Danbury and as a father. He expressed concern about the number of these establishments that have popped up over the past 15 to 20 years and said there's still plenty of work to do.

Once the public hearing is scheduled, residents will have an opportunity to weigh in. The mayor says he plans to speak at the hearing himself and is encouraging the community to show up and make its voice heard.