Highland Park Council to Hear E-Cigarette Bill

Highland Park, NJ - Highland Park is marching forward in its attempt to require a license of anyone wishing to open a so-called "vape" shop in town.

The town Council will hear a second reading Tuesday night of a bill that would require borough stores that sell e-cigarettes to be licensed. Licenses would sell for $1,200 and would be purchased through the Highland Park Board of Health. The money would go into anti-smoking campaigns and programs to help people quit smoking.

Currently, unlike liquor stores, there is no license required to open an e-cigarette or "vape" shop in New Jersey. New Jersey does require a retail license to sell cigarettes and it is only $50, which has not changed in almost two decades.

Vape/e-cigarette shops are fast growing in popularity, and are as of now mostly unregulated.

"Because New Jersey does not require a license to sell e-cigarettes, the state has no way of tracking who is selling these products, and who they are selling them to," said Karen Blumenfeld, Esq., Executive Director of Global Advisors on Smoke-free Policy.

"The products are battery-operated and heat up a liquid that is then vaporized. The e-liquids come in endless flavorings that appeal to young people," she continued. "There has been a triple increase in youth using e-cigarettes in just one year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control."

Right now, you must be over 19 to buy e-cigarettes and tobacco products in New Jersey. A bill to raise that age to 21 passed the Senate, but stalled in the Assembly.

"This is why towns want to institute a local licensing of retailers selling e-cigarettes: To ensure compliance with state law that the product can’t be sold to those under 19 years old," Blumenfeld said.

Highland Park currently has 9 stores that sell e-cigarettes. If the bill passes, Highland Park would join 10 other municipalities in the state that already require licenses for vape shops, including nearby Westwood.

Should Highland Park's resolution become law, licenses will be required starting July 1, 2016.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons/e-cigarette