by Hunter Dawkins, Publisher/Owner – thegazebogazette@gmail.com or hdawkins@supertalk.fm
PASS CHRISTIAN (GG) — Tuesday night, October 1, 2024, the Pass Christian Board of Aldermen adopted amending Ordinance 564 on a 4-1 vote at the city municipal court. This ordinance originally prohibited tobacco products for people under 18 to purchase, possess or use upon school property, at school sponsored activities or anywhere within city limits.
The board amended the original draft (from 1999) to add E-cigarettes (better known as vapes) to the list of all under 21, since the age has changed under federal law. Additionally, the amended ordinance revised penalties for such offenses and set forth provisions for the responsibilities of the parent/legal guardians to require the juvenile to attend community service activities and appear or participate in tobacco education or cessation programs that were approved by the Municipal Court.
After a few public comments discussing the issue along with a discussion by Pass Christian School District Superintendent Dr. Carla Evers and city municipal judge Lewis “Skip” Negrotto, Ward 2 Alderwoman Regina Charlot outlined several factual reasons she opposed amending the ordinance.
“This is asking us to put a punishment on the youth and I take this very seriously,” said Charlot. “I can’t sit up here and approve an ordinance that is going to create punitive damages against our youth. I am not for the use of the e-cigarettes, but will explain why I can’t support this.”
Charlot went on to express specific areas of the state law and how she didn’t feel this amendment was compliant and her service to the youth for 30 years delivered the reason she opposed this action.
Following a workshop at the Pass Christian Public Workshop organized by the JWRECHC with discourse about this issue last week, Pass Christian City Attorney Malcolm Jones (who originally authored the previous ordinance) drafted the amended version before Tuesday’s meeting.
