BATON ROUGE – Two vape stores in Bossier City and one in Shreveport lost their business permits during a multi-agency crackdown that also led to the seizure of illegally-sold items and arrests.
The joint state and federal crackdown focused on unauthorized vape products in stores across the state. There were 10 arrests and more than $1 million in illegal vape pens, pods, juices and other products taken off the shelves.
Additionally, the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control issued more than 140 citations for alcohol, tobacco, alternative tobacco and consumable hemp violations.
The state Fire Marshal’s office issued more than 150 citations for safety and fire code violations.
The ATC suspended the permits of the following local businesses:
- Vapes ‘R’ Us at 334 North Market Street in Shreveport.
- 318 Cloudz at 307 East Texas in Bossier City
- 318 Cloudz at 2501 Beene Blvd. in Bossier City.
Other businesses in the state
- Smokin Aces Smoke Shop in Baton Rouge
- Candle Hookah Smoke Shop in Lafayette
- Old Smokey in Lafayette
The Operation Vape Out investigation was spread over four weeks and involved ATC, LSP, LSFM, Louisiana Probation and Parole and federal Homeland Security Investigations. Their objective was to confiscate illegal vape products sold by retail and wholesale businesses, and to identify and arrest the people responsible.
The arrests were for a variety of violations, including possession of schedule I narcotics, unlawful possession of hallucinogenic plants, felony possession of nitrous oxide and immigration violations.
ATC encourages anyone with information about the illegal sale of vape products in Louisiana to submit a complaint at www.atc.louisiana.gov.
