Vape shops selling replica handgun torch lighters spark safety concerns despite being banned in 2010
A vape shop stocked with lighters that look more like weapons, available for anyone to walk in and buy.
The issue? They're popping up in multiple neighborhoods, despite being banned years ago. Now, community leaders and law enforcement are warning of the potential risks of possessing one.
Inside the box, it doesn't look as threatening. Once opened and pulled out of the package, the flame from the novelty torch lighter is the least of its troubles.
"Just think about what that looks like if I have got an all-black 9mm replica that's a torch lighter and holding it in my hand," said Councilman Joseph Williams.
Williams is the 7th District council member with the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability—representing Englewood, where one of the torch lighters from a vape shop was purchased for just $30. Multiple gun replica lighters, including long guns, were also for sale.
"It's more about the concern for the community, the safety of the community, and making sure these type of things aren't really allowed and sold in our community," Williams said.
In 2010, Illinois passed a law making it illegal for any businesses to sell novelty gun lighters, but as more vape shops pop up across the city and suburbs, the 16-year-old law doesn't appear to be enforced.
"Someone could lose their life because of this," Williams said.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability, or COPA, is currently recommending that a Chicago police officer be fired for shooting and paralyzing a 13-year-old back in 2022. The officer says they mistook the teen's cell phone for a weapon and fired.
Robbins Police Chief Terry White said even though we purchased the lighter at a store in Chicago, it could impact any police officer.
"To a child, this is a toy, to an adult, this is maybe impressing someone—either way, it's a nightmare to any police officer," Chief White said.
He said even if the person is not pointing the lighter at someone, it puts an officer on the defensive, which can potentially turn into a bad scenario.
"That's why that's the biggest issue," Chief White said.
An issue Williams said he's seen in other vape shops and will work to ensure those businesses comply.
"We just gotta bring awareness," he said.