ASHEVILLE- In an on-going effort to keep minors from purchasing tobacco products, two N.C. Alcohol Law Enforcement agents last month checked 38 retail establishments in Buncombe and Madison counties and cited six store clerks for underage tobacco sales.

“Overall, clerks working in retail outlets do a good job checking identification and verifying that their customers are of legal age to purchase tobacco products,” said ALE Director Mike Robertson. “For those who do not check, the fine can be steep.”

Selling tobacco to an underage person is a Class II misdemeanor, and a District Court judge may fine the violator up to $1,000 or order as much as 30 days community service.

A store clerk can determine if a customer is of legal age by the color codes on a person's driver's license. A red border means the bearer is less than 18 years old. “If you see red, the tobacco sale is dead,” is the slogan for a statewide Retailer Education Campaign that started in 2005 to remind retail employees to refuse the sale of tobacco products to underage persons.

“The good news is that during the past few years, the number of stores out of compliance has been decreasing,” Robertson said. “ALE agents will continue their enforcement efforts to help prevent underage tobacco sales.”

ALE is the lead agency for the Tobacco Education and Compliance Check Program, and works in partnership with the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services. The program is funded by the N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund. The N.C. Retail Merchants Association and the N.C. Association of Convenience Stores also supports the tobacco campaign.

In North Carolina, surveys show that more than 24,000 young people start smoking each year, and that 90% of adult smokers began using cigarettes before age 18. The average age of a new smoker is 13. In addition to health issues, experts say the use of tobacco products often leads to other drugs and increases the likelihood of a young person's activity with theft or other criminal activities.

ALE has 117 agents across North Carolina to enforce alcohol and tobacco laws.

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