DENVER The Denver City Council voted 11-1 on Monday to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products within the city limits. The ordinance prohibits the sale of all flavored tobacco products, "including fruit and candy flavored e-cigarettes, menthol cigarettes, flavored hookah tobacco and flavored chew and pouches." It also eliminates penalties for underage purchase, use or possession (PUP) of tobacco products. The ban will take effect 90 days after the city clerk publishes it, which is typically within five days after the mayor signs it, according to a City of Denver spokesperson. Denver7 spoke to several business owners before the vote on Monday, who said such a ban would really hurt them. "We've owned this location here on Washington since 1999. We leased it originally, and then we bought the actual property finally in 2011," said Zachary Shadi-Kingsley, a convenience store owner. "We've owned the one on 30th and Downing since 1988 when it originally was a grocery store. The one on Colfax and Williams we bought in 2019 right before the COVID crisis."For decades, Shadi-Kingley said his family has made a living off these three convenience stores, which are threatened by this ban. "It's going to hurt no matter how you put it, how you spin it. I don't care what they say. This is going to hurt my business 100%," he said. "This business just doesn't support me. It supports my dad, my mom, my brother, me, my sister, you know?"While his businesses sell gas, drinks, snacks and other items, Shadi-Kingsley said the flavored tobacco products make up a large portion of his sales. "Vapes were 20%. ZYN and flavored pouches were 10% of my sales," he said. For city leaders, the purpose of the ban is simple: Protecting kids. "We're very specific, focusing on flavored tobacco. Why? Because flavored tobacco is the number one product that our teenagers use," said Councilmember Darrell Watson, who represents District 9. "They're the number one product that hooks kids into this product type, and then they move into stronger products like stronger tobacco."While the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in Colorado is 21 years old, Watson doesn't believe it's enough. "There are businesses that are selling to underage folks," he said. In Denver, hundreds of retail tobacco licenses are issued every year. As of Dec. 16, there were 548 tobacco licenses in Denver, compared to 540 at the same time last year. While not all of these businesses sell flavored tobacco products, those that do would be impacted by a potential ban. This is not the first time the Denver City Council has taken such steps against flavored tobacco. The council approved a ban in Dec. 2021 but it was vetoed by then-Mayor Michael Hancock.In a statement, a spokesperson said Mayor Mike Johnston "would be in support of this initiative should Council pass it."Full statement: Were committed to protecting youth health through common sense measures, and Mayor Johnston would be in support of this initiative should Council pass it.