Denver regulators are turning up the heat on a Colfax Avenue vape shop that city officials say kept breaking the rules even after warnings.
The city has moved to suspend the tobacco retail license for Vibe Smoke Shop at 7530 E. Colfax Ave., according to administrative records. The store is set for an administrative hearing on June 26, where the owner will have a chance to argue why the license should not be suspended or permanently revoked.
The case lands as Denver ramps up enforcement of its flavored tobacco ban, which took effect Jan. 1. Health inspectors have been using undercover buys and public inspections to test whether retailers are following the new rules and keeping age-restricted products away from kids. As The Denver Gazette reported, penalties escalate for repeat violations, and the city estimates about 600 retailers sell flavored products that are now under tighter scrutiny.
Under Denver's municipal code, the licensing manager can increase discipline when a retailer racks up multiple violations, moving from written warnings to 30-day and 60-day suspensions and up to a one-year suspension for a fourth or later violation within twelve months. The code also lets the city require corrective actions and post notices at the business, according to the Denver City code.
What inspectors say they found
The suspension order alleges a March 31 inspection turned up several problems behind the counter and in the back room.
According to the order, inspectors and Denver police discovered alcohol in a back room refrigerator, including bottles of beer, whiskey, and vodka. Paperwork from the inspection also notes three boxes of beer, each with 12 bottles.
Officials say staff sold a flavored nicotine product after the citywide flavor ban kicked in. The order further states that a parent reported the shop sold kratom to a 17-year-old on Jan. 28, with a second complaint coming in two weeks later. The order also alleges that an undercover youth tobacco operative was able to buy a product without being asked for identification, according to 9NEWS.
Hearing and next steps
The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection has already issued a suspension order and scheduled the June 26 administrative hearing, allowing Vibe Smoke Shop to respond to the allegations and present its side.
Under the process laid out in the order, a hearing officer will hear evidence and then issue a recommendation. The executive director of the department will review that recommendation and make the final call on what happens next, according to 9NEWS. Possible outcomes include fines, a temporary suspension of the tobacco retail license, or a full revocation under city rules.
Why it matters
The Vibe case is one piece of a broader crackdown as Denver tries to make its flavored tobacco ban more than just words on paper.
City officials say the point of the law is to curb youth access to nicotine and other age-restricted products. As The Denver Gazette has reported, the city has increased inspections and is warning retailers that the cost of repeat violations can quickly climb from warnings to lengthy suspensions that take tobacco sales off the table entirely.
