For
Release: Immediate Contact:
Patty McQuillan
Date:
ALE AGENTS ARREST 37 PEOPLE
DURING TOBACCO COMPLIANCE CHECKS
As part of a Tobacco Compliance Check Campaign, five ALE
agents checked 116 retail establishments in Craven and Wayne counties 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.
“Store clerks need to carefully check the IDs of young
people who are trying to purchase tobacco products to make sure they are not
underage,” said ALE Director Mike Robertson. “Selling tobacco
to minors is illegal, and store clerks who either willfully or inadvertently sell to minors can stain their own record.”
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
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Editor’s note:
For a list of establishments that sold tobacco or did not sell, contact New
Bern ALE District II Supervisor William J. Smith at (252) 514-4720.