N.C. store clerks cited for selling tobacco to minors

Raleigh, N.C. — Alcohol Law Enforcement agents last year cited 1,080 store clerks in 95 counties for selling tobacco to minors, the state agency said Tuesday.

Agents conducted more than 6,500 compliance checks across the state, including 1,616 in the Raleigh and Fayetteville districts, and issued 299 citations in the 20 counties that comprise those districts.

They include Chatham, Cumberland, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Lee, Orange, Vance, Wake and Wayne counties.

“While the majority of store clerks properly check IDs and refuse to sell to minors, too many clerks are still selling without properly checking,” ALE Director Bill Chandler said.

State law prohibits selling tobacco to a minor and makes doing so a misdemeanor. Penalties can be as high as a $1,000 fine, community service or jail time.

ALE, which has 117 agents, offers programs to educate the clerks at retail outlets on how to check IDs and prevent sales to minors. Agents also distribute signs and brochures related to the state law and the responsibilities of retail merchants.

Each month, ALE agents make unannounced compliance checks as part of the state’s Tobacco Education and Compliance Check Program.

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Latest Comments

Compliance checks use folks that look much older and are made up to look much older than their age it's basically entrapment. How do they get away with it?

68_polara
February 3, 2009 3:40 p.m.

117 Agents presumably with vehicles and apparently paid assistants that look over 18 but obviously are not spending all this time entraping convenience store clerks in an effort to stop underage smoking. What a foolish waste of time and money.

WHEEL
February 3, 2009 2:28 p.m.

I used to work in retail and had to deal with these investigations. They will send volunteer kids in who look 18-25 during peak business hours when the clerk is busy with other customers so they have a better chance of "success". I got no problem keeping tobacco from schoolkids, but let's make it illegal for them to possess tobacco and enforce that as well. Until they do that, it's just a money making scheme to me.

supes
February 3, 2009 1:48 p.m.

Let me also mention that in Va. there is almost no such thing as these stings on alcohol or cigarettes. My insurance rep. says NC is causing them all kinds of problems with retailers but Va. has no issue. Its all about the cash.

OLD PIRATE 2
February 3, 2009 1:42 p.m.

You folks are missing the point in these ALE stings. They are putting fines on the owners for the actions of the clerks. This is a money making scheme for the ABC Commission. They are even worse on alcohol. The store gets the big fine, the clerk goes to court and gets a slap on the hand.

OLD PIRATE 2
February 3, 2009 1:41 p.m.