Dawson County Planning and Development Director Jameson Kinley presented a proposed vape shop ordinance to the Board of Commissioners during the Aug. 1 work session.

The proposed ordinance defines the licensing process for any vape shop in the county and places several restrictions on the sale and display of vapes and other similar products.

The ordinance would also make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase, possess or use any “alternative nicotine products or vapor products.” The punishment for violating that section of the ordinance would be a misdemeanor and punishable by “fine and/or imprisonment in accord with the limits established in O.C.G.A 36-1-20 and O.C.G.A 15-10-60.”

The final section of the ordinance will make it illegal to use vapes or any other “alternative nicotine product or vapor product” on any “property owned, leased, or operated by Dawson County.”

In May 2016, the Board of Commissioners updated the county’s smoking ordinance to include vapes and electronic cigarettes, effectively banning them from county property.

This past May, the City Council passed a similar ordinance to the one that the Dawson County Board of Commissioners is now discussing.

The Board will continue to discuss the proposed ordinance during the regularly scheduled work session at 4 pm on Thursday, Aug. 15.