POINT HARBOR – N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement agents arrested five store clerks during the month of November for selling tobacco to underage children.

As part of a Tobacco Compliance Check Campaign, two ALE agents checked 38 retail establishments in Perquimans and Currituck Counties that sell tobacco products. The cashiers were in violation of the law by allegedly selling cigars, cigarettes, snuff or bulk tobacco to customers who were younger than 18. ALE agents issued a criminal citation 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.

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Editor’s Note: For a list of establishments that sold tobacco or did not sell, contact ALE District I Supervisor Pat Forbis at (252) 491-6561.