The opening, and subsequent closing, of a tobacco and vapes shop near a handful of schools in North Albury could be described as a series of unfortunate events.
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As one father of a Xavier High student described it, it's a win for commonsense from the point of view that the store had no place within 300m of three schools near the Fallon and Mate streets intersection.
Paediatricians across the country have warned that youth vaping was "fast becoming an epidemic among children". In May, the federal government unveiled new vaping reforms that will eventually see the importation of nicotine and non-nicotine vaping products banned in Australia, except to pharmacies.
Few people across the Border would take joy in the fact that in these tough economic times, a business has been forced to shut down, but the location of the tobacco and vapes store just didn't pass the sniff test.
Albury MP Justin Clancy is right when he says planning regulators must give more careful consideration to the location of enterprises like the tobacco and vapes store, which had products seized during a raid by health officials on June 29.
No council consent was required for the business, given the premises has been approved to operate as a shop since July, 1992 but Albury mayor Kylie King was among those to denounce its location to The Border Mail last month.
Let's hope next time a proposal like this is put forward, regulators take a deep, smoke-free, breath before giving it the green light.
Xavier Mardling
Xavier started at The Border Mail in Albury-Wodonga in 2001, covering sport and general news before moving to the subs' desk. He was editor of his hometown masthead from 2016 to 2020 before swapping the Murray for Merewether. He returned to The Border Mail as editor in 2023.
Xavier started at The Border Mail in Albury-Wodonga in 2001, covering sport and general news before moving to the subs' desk. He was editor of his hometown masthead from 2016 to 2020 before swapping the Murray for Merewether. He returned to The Border Mail as editor in 2023.
