After voters overwhelmingly approved Referendum 310 — upholding Denver’s ban on the sale of flavored tobacco and vaping products — some business owners say the financial hit could be devastating.
Zachary Shadi Kingsley, who owns a convenience store in Denver, said he’s disappointed in the outcome, with more than 70% of voters backing the ban.
“It’s going to hurt us,” Kingsley said. “We calculated last week that close to 30% of our sales will be lost, and that’s not a product we can really replace.”
Kingsley estimated that the ban could force about 100 vape shops in the city to close and eliminate at least 1,000 jobs. He also cited concerns about the city losing up to $13 million annually in tax revenue — funds that help pay for early childhood education…