A unanimous vote from the Starkville Board of Aldermen earlier this month amended the ban on smoking to include the use of electronic cigarettes. This decision worries business owners.
To placate the owners of various tobacco and vape shops throughout Starkville, a secondary amendment is being reviewed. This amendment to the 2008 smoking ban would allow patrons in free-standing tobacco and vape stores to smoke inside of their establishment. However, this amendment does not account for tobacco and vape stores located within shopping centers.
Wael Salem, manager of Tobacco 101 on Highway 12, said he does not understand why this ban excludes multiunit buildings.
“It doesn’t make sense to me because my store is a closed-in area,” Salem said.
Salem believes many of his customers will start to purchase e-liquid online, which will subsequently decrease his sales. Under normal circumstances, Salem allows his customers to smell and taste products before making purchases. He also allows them to smoke indoors if they want to try out a product immediately after a purchase.
“If the exemption excludes my store, consumers will go elsewhere to smoke,” Salem said.
Tobacco 101 sells both tobacco and vaping products. Salem said there is a distinct difference between the two and they should not be treated the same.
 “It is unfair that they are putting vapes in the same category as cigarettes,” Salem said.
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The new ban also raises uncertainty for some on the Mississippi State University campus.
One skeptic is Taylor Garner, an instructor in the Department of English. He said he applauds the city’s effort to consider allowing vaping in stand-alone locations but is concerned for stores that may not get the exemption. Garner believes this ban could be economically harmful to certain businesses.
As a vaper, Garner understands there is an difference between cigarettes and vaping products because there is no combustion or tobacco involved with vaping.
“Treating vaping the same as smoking is to treat it as guilty by association since cigarettes are a source of nicotine,” Garner said.
Garner said the change to the law could inadvertently encourage people to remain smokers or use less effective smoking-cessation methods.
He said a ban on vaping in stores in multiunit buildings may cause consumers to vape less and smoke more, because they may not be comfortable enough with the products to purchase them online.
“I wish law[makers] and policymakers would be more knowledgeable about the things they produce policy and law about,” Garner said.
As one of the strongest voices against the amendment, Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins said it is in the city’s best interest not to allow an amendment of any kind to water down the 2008 smoking ban.
“I do not see any positives in the amendment. It needs to be defeated,” Perkins said. “Starkville does not need to allow any form of smoking in any public place within the city limits.”
In his third term as vice mayor, Perkins said he values consistency over the popular opinion. Perkins said he is pro-business and pro-growth, but said an amendment added to the non-smoking ordinance would lessen the city’s ability to enforce the original law.
In addition, Perkins said this amendment could create a slippery slope.
“As sure as you allow one amendment then another one will come,” Perkins said. “It’s like a child saying, ‘You did this for one child, now I want my share.’”
There will be two public hearings regarding the amendment to the 2008 smoking ban on Nov. 7 and Nov. 21. The Starkville Board of Aldermen will vote on the amendment after the second public hearing.