Surfside Beach closing in on vape, tobacco shop ban

SURFSIDE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Surfside Beach leaders on Tuesday took their first steps toward imposing a six-month ban on new vape, cannabis and tobacco business from opening in town.

Officials say the move is aimed at preserving the community’s family-friendly atmosphere. A second vote is needed before the rule takes effect.

The ordinance is on the table after council asked the town’s planning commission to draft one earlier this month. A public hearing is scheduled before final approval next month.

Mayor Rob Krouse told News13 the town wants to take this time to figure out what to call these types of shops and how to enforce future ordinances.

“But to do that, we’re going to take the six-month moratorium and say we’re not allowing any more of these to open up at this point,” Krouse said. “We’ll address it, figure out what to do, and move on in a legal manner.”

Council also voted to allow free admission for visitors to the Surfside Beach pier for one year starting in 2025.

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Adrianna Lawrence is a multimedia journalist at News13. Adrianna is originally from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and joined the News13 team in June 2023 after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University in May 2023. Keep up with Adrianna on Instagram, Facebook , and X, formerly Twitter . You can also read more of her work, here .

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