|
| | | | Effective today, most e-cigarettes in Pennsylvania are illegal to sell. But store owners are confused about what the ban means for bottom lines, and how it will be enforced. | | - A Ban Becomes Law. Legislation banning the sale of most e-cigarettes was signed last year. Only products approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (or under review) are allowed. The state attorney general now maintains a directory of approved products, which come from six manufacturers.
- Limited Market. Only one brand of disposable vapes and one brand of vape juice are approved for sale in PA: the Crossbar and Naked 100, respectively. Other approved brands (including Juul and NJoy) sell pod-based vaporizers that come in menthol or tobacco flavors.
- What About South Street? The statewide ban will affect more than 10,000 businesses statewide. Some store owners on South Street, where smoke shops have proliferated in recent years, say they’re confused about the ban, unsure of which products are legal, and questioning what enforcement will look like. For some stores, vapes and accessories make up to 75% of revenue.
- Violators Will Pay. For a first offense, stores can be fined $500 for each product that violates the law. Additional violations could result in fines of up to $1,500-per-day, per-product, and revocation of business licenses.
- No New Smoke Shops? City Council Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson took another shot at smoke shops by introducing legislation last week to effectively ban new stores in most of the city. Her proposal prohibits them from locating within 750 feet of a school, daycare, park or existing store with nicotine products. The proposal would not affect existing stores.
| | What vices are left?! Skill games are out. I’m not big on alcohol. Might I interest you in a conversation about over-the-counter psychedelics? You read that right: magic mushrooms. Host Trenae Nurie spoke with reporters from The Philadelphia Inquirer about how hallucinogens are finding their way into smoke shops. | |
|
|
|
|
| What Philly's Talking About |
| Are You Registered To Vote? | Today is the last day to register if you plan on voting in the midterms! Check your status online by name or with your drivers’ license number. It took me less than 30 seconds. [PA.gov] | | | Bike Round City Hall | After a 16-month delay, the bill to (officially) install a bike lane around City Hall awaits the mayor’s signature. Councilmember Jeffery Young Jr. introduced the bill last year to replace a traffic lane with a bike lane, but unexpectedly held his own bill. The lane was built anyway and opened last December. [🔒 The Inquirer] | | A New Crime Lab for Philly | City Council approved borrowing $40 million to finish building a new forensics lab for police in University City. The new funding brings the cost to about $95 million. Barring no interruptions, it's expected to open in late April, replacing an outdated facility in North Philly. [WHYY] | | Robot-Blocker Arrested | Police were called to intervene when Carolyn Marvin refused to let an Uber delivery robot pass on the sidewalk in Center City. Marvin says she views her actions as protected speech and was protesting the use of delivery robots, whom she believes are taking jobs. This is not her first showdown with delivery robots. [6abc] | - What do you think, are robots finally here to replace us? Are they adorable or annoying? Share your robot thoughts with us! We may read your comments on the podcast.
| | | | Marsha’s Last Round | After just a year in business, Marsha’s South Street closed its doors this weekend. The bar shared the news Thursday. It didn’t give a reason for the closure, but in its short time on the scene it has faced both a police raid and social media complaints from a former employee. [Instagram] | - Related: Marsha’s owner Chivonn Anderson shared what it meant to open the first dedicated women’s sports bar in Philly. [🎧 City Cast Philly]
- Related: Avana, on the Ben Franklin Parkway, also closed on Thursday. Its announcement on social media described it as a “closing of one beautiful chapter.” [Instagram]
| | Bones Found at Olney ‘House of Horrors’ | The bones, whose origins are unknown, were found in the home’s backyard. The place has been dubbed a “house of horrors” due to an ongoing investigation into suspected serial killer Raymond “R.C.” Horsch, who lived in the home with his son. Police haven’t confirmed if the bones are connected to the investigation. [CBS Philly] |
|
|
|
|
I want to give one more heartfelt “thanks” to our new Neighbors here — folks like Maggie B. who shared that she loves listening to the podcast each morning. The pod (and this newsletter) is made by real people who love — and occasionally love to hate — this city, just like you. | | If that’s not enough, there are still some dad hats left! Get to it, friends. |
| |
|
|
|
