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Oldham County vape shop hopes to amend smoking ordinance

The owner of Juice Box Vapor Company in La Grange says that the Oldham County smoke-free ordinance shouldn't include his shop.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) — A special meeting in Oldham County is set Tuesday to discuss whether a safer alternative to smoking cigarettes should be given a pass at the county's smoke-free ordinance.

Right now, tobacco products, e-cigs and other forms of vaping are banned in public places, like restaurants and bars. The owner of Juice Box Vapor Company in La Grange says that shouldn't include his shop.

"The population's health is just too important. It exposes them to too many hazards," Karen Turner, an Oldham County Board Member, said.

It's the same opinion of the Oldham County Health Department, which just this year, added e-cigarettes and other vapor products to the current ban.

MORE: Keeping Oldham County in compliance with e-cig sales

MORE: E-cigs, vaping included in Oldham County's smoke-free policy

Keith Hadley owns the Juice Box. He says his products have helped thousands of smokers quit in the state he calls 'ground zero,' giving smokers their nicotine fix while cutting out the tobacco you'd find in a normal pack of cigarettes.

"That's our mission. That's why we opened this store," Hadley said.

"Nicotine is addictive, but so are a lot of other substances. In order to get smokers off combustible tobacco, the nicotine is the catalyst they need to have," Hadley said.

Hadley says he sees first-time vape users almost every day, looking to first test the products on the shelves. The current ban doesn't allow them to do so inside his shop.

"If a new user comes in, we need to show them how to use the device to properly educate them before they walk out the door," Hadley said.

Vape shops across the country are banding together to allow vaping in their stores. Hadley has a second location in Louisville, where customers can do just that.

A variety of vapor products at the Juice Box. (Photo: WHAS11)

However, the Oldham County Health Department says there isn't enough research to suggest these vapors aren't harmful and feel the ban should remain across the board.

"We don't want to change things for one person, setting a precedent for the whole county," Denia Crosby, the chairman of the Oldham County Board of Health, said.

Hadley will make his case Tuesday, to the Oldham County Public Safety Committee. It begins at 11 a.m.

A decision will then be made by the fiscal court. A timeline for that is still up in the air.

►Contact reporter Brooke Hasch at bhasch@whas11.com. Follow her on Twitter (@WHAS11Hasch) and Facebook.

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