Tobacco and vape shops may soon face stricter regulations in the city of Greer after concerns were raised by City Council member Karuiam Booker.
Booker first brought up the issue during a March Council meeting, arguing that current zoning regulations are too lenient on the stores. According to a map put together by city staff, there are 13 tobacco and vape shops within Greer city limits.
“Right now in South Carolina, it’s the wild, wild west,” Booker said. “... The issue isn’t about the shops being in Greer. The issue truly is about how they are taking advantage of a loophole that we have in our [Unified Development Ordinance] that classifies them as a regular retail shop.”
According to city planning staff, smoke shops are currently classified as regular retail businesses in Greer, unlike liquor stores, which are subject to additional regulations. Booker is working to have an ordinance drafted that would create a separate classification and set specific requirements for tobacco and vape shops.
While nothing has been finalized, potential requirements could include stricter signage regulations or distance requirements from schools, parks or additional vape shops. These requirements would be part of a larger effort aimed at addressing what Booker sees as an overconcentration of smoke shops in the city.
“We need to at least get rid of this loophole where these shops are not being opened in such a frequent manner,” Booker said. “The most recent shop we have opened across the street from our beautiful city park. An award-winning city park, [and] we have a 24-hour smoke and vape shop that opened up across the street. That does not reflect what Greer has to offer.”
Booker also said he believes the concentration of these stores is intentional. Of the 13 tobacco and vape shops identified within city limits, more than half are located along Highway 29 in his district.
“Along that corridor would be predominantly those low-to-moderate income areas like Sunnyside, Greentown [and] Needmore,” Booker said. “Those communities that traditionally have folks under that poverty line — that’s where they were targeting.”
Booker said he does not believe the concentration is a coincidence, citing studies that have found higher rates of substance abuse in lower-income communities. He also expressed concern about tobacco and vape products reaching underage individuals, an issue he says has increasingly been raised by the city’s partners in the school system.
Booker said he is currently working on gathering data from local nonprofits and community organizations regarding substance use in Greer. He is also working with fellow council members and city staff to craft an ordinance for a future vote. At this time, there is no set timeline for when a draft ordinance could be presented.
Booker emphasized that his goal is not to force any existing businesses out of Greer, but rather to ensure they comply with any future city regulations. He said that business owners would be informed of any policy changes and that existing shops could potentially be grandfathered in.
“There are people in the community that want to have these stores here, so carte blanche kicking them all out is not reflective of what we’re trying to do,” Booker said. “We always want small businesses in the community, but we're not going to do it at the detriment of our young children, providing them better access to items we know are hurting their bodies and harming them.”
Booker says he encourages constituents to reach out to him with questions or comments. He can be contacted at kbooker@cityofgreersc.gov or (864) 469-6540.
GreerNews will continue to follow this story and provide updates as any policy changes move forward.
