NEW BERN – N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement agents arrested 10 people for selling tobacco products to underage children in Wayne County.

As part of a Tobacco Compliance Check Campaign, District II ALE agents checked 83 retail establishments in Wayne County that sell tobacco products. The cashiers were in violation of the law by allegedly selling cigarettes to customers who were younger than 18. ALE agents issued criminal citations to each of the store clerks.

"Our efforts to address the very serious issue of the unlawful sale of tobacco products to underage purchasers are ongoing,” said ALE Director Mike Robertson. “We are determined to safeguard our state’s youth by educating them concerning the consequences of smoking, as well as identifying and addressing retail locations that fail to comply with North Carolina’s statutory requirements.”

ALE’s Tobacco Education and Compliance Check Program is conducted in partnership with the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services and the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund Commission. It is also a cooperative effort among community agencies, local law enforcement agencies, merchants, parents and teens.

ALE has 76 agents across North Carolina who enforce alcohol and tobacco laws. ALE District II Office covers Beaufort, Carteret, Craven, Jones, Pamlico, Lenoir, Pitt, Greene, Wayne, and Wilson counties.

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Editor’s note: For a list of establishments that sold tobacco or did not sell, Contact ALE District II Assistant Supervisor David Williams at (252) 514-4720.