City of Golden set to vote on flavored nicotine product ban

Blueberry, strawberry, grape and hundreds more: the flavors may sound appealing, but come with a stern warning. These vape products contain nicotine.

Soon they may be illegal to sell in Golden.

Afjal Khan is the manager of the store inside a gas station on 12th Street. He is worried about Tuesday night's vote.

"So they try to stop our small business," he told CBS News Colorado.

Statistics show more than 25% of Colorado high school students are vaping, according to public health advocates.

Now, Golden is expected to join the list of locations banning flavored nicotine after the state legislature and Denver didn't push through such measures.

Alex Simon, a public health advocate with CoPIRG, the Colorado Public Interest Research Group, said, "Kids in general don't have the ability to travel long distances they buy what is convenient, what is accessible."

So much smaller local governments from the Denver metro area to Aspen have decided to pass their own laws banning flavored vape products.

Brian Harkins, a Golden resident in favor of the ban said, "You've got to think about the safety of the public, the safety of families that's what we're about here in Golden."

But those opposed to the ban argue vaping is used by many people to help quit smoking. They claim, if passed, some businesses may have to close and these products will still be available nearby.

Khan, the store manager inside a Sinclair gas station, pointed out, "Three blocks away there is a 7-Eleven so they can sell over there so it's not going to work. It's going to send the business to other places."

Golden, which already had raised the age to 21 for vape purchases, may join the other cities around the state banning flavored nicotine, but finding it elsewhere will remain as simple as exhaling a puff of smoke.