Vape shops in Virginia that sell tobacco products to underage buyers could soon face real consequences after years in a legal gray area.

Del. Patrick Hope of Northern Virginia told WTOP he hears from parents often that their children know which vape shops will sell to them — even though the law prohibits the sale of tobacco or vape products to anyone under 21.

“I’ve heard from parents and I know we’ve seen the proliferation of these vape shops. These liquid nicotine products have flooded our markets in recent years and there hasn’t been sufficient oversight or regulatory measures in place. And oftentimes these products are making their way in the hands of underage buyers,” Hope said.

A new bill passed by the General Assembly would set up an enforcement system targeting vape shops that repeatedly sell to people under 21. Hope said that if those shops continue to break the law, the state will shut them down.

Hope said a major problem has been a lack of information. “We just haven’t known who they are. Last year, we passed a law that required these vape shops to register with the Department of Tax, and only 52 actually sent in their registration.”

“We believe that there are close to 10,000 vape shops in the state and we want to make sure that we pull them under this regulatory scheme,” Hope added.

The bill directs the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, which already enforces alcohol sales laws, to hire inspectors for vape and tobacco shops. Once the bill is signed, Hope said he expects a quick rollout.

“Typically, bills in the General Assembly go into effect July of the year that they’re passed. We’ll have an educational program for a few months, but I would think that we would be operational probably by October. … I think they’ll be doing underage programs probably within the end of this year,” Hope said.

Hope said the legislation earned broad support in the Virginia General Assembly.

The bill now heads to Spanberger for her signature.

Thursday, Fairfax County police said a major drug investigation targeted multiple vape shops, including a dozen Tobacco King vape shops, that are accused of selling illegal items, ranging from drugs to synthetic urine, and laundering money.

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