NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — In a 5-3 vote, the Newport News City Planning Commission will recommend that the city council approve regulations on potential new vape shops.

Newport News mayor Phillip Jones said to 13News Now that the main goals of these new rules are to protect children and to prevent crime in the city.

“This is ultimately about public safety,” Jones explained. “How can we increase safety but also increase quality of life for our residents?”

The new ordinance would create stricter rules for anyone looking to open a vape shop. New vape shops would not be allowed to have drive-thrus or tinted windows, and they would not be able to operate within 2,000 feet of schools and childcare centers.

“There's been a lot of youth across the region and across the country who are starting to ge

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