ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Commissioners are evaluating a zoning change that would set distance limits between smoke shops and schools. The proposed measure aims to restrict how close these businesses can operate to educational facilities.
The proposal was introduced after parents raised concerns regarding a smoke shop that opened next to Olympia High School in Orlando.
Orange County and its cities enacted ordinances to regulate smoke shops, focusing on public health, illegal activities, and the sale of “loophole” products. Officials have aimed these tighter regulations at closing gaps in existing laws that allow for the sale of certain intoxicants.
Proposed legislation for 2026, called Meg’s Law, intends to ban the retail sale of nitrous oxide in smoke shops. House Bill 1341 and Senate Bill 1394 would block the sale of “laughing gas” for recreational use.
Currently, selling the substance for recreational use is a crime, with sales of more than 16 grams classified as a third-degree felony.
Other proposals for 2026, such as Senate Bill 986 and House Bill 389, aim to broaden restrictions on public smoking. These bills would ban smoking in most outdoor public spaces, explicitly covering sidewalks and parks near school campuses.
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