The County Sheriff and County Health departments recently finished with another tobacco sting across SLO County and 10 stores got cited for allegedly selling tobacco to minors, and many were repeat offenders, too.
According to Sheriff’s Spokesman, Tony Cipolla, the sting ended Nov. 2, and was done in conjunction with the health Department’s Tobacco Control Program. Under-aged “decoys” were used to test whether store clerks would sell tobacco. Last June, California raised the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21.
Some 48 stores were tested in San Miguel, Santa Margarita, Cambria, Cayucos, Los Osos, Avila Beach, Oceano and Nipomo, the unincorporated areas of SLO County. None of the incorporated cities participated in the sting.
Eleven clerks working at 10 different stores were cited for selling to the decoys, a 20.83% illegal sales rate, Cipolla said.
“The illegal sales rate increased from the last series of compliance operations,” Cipolla said in a news release. “Tobacco compliance monitoring has been continuously in effect since 2012. For comparison purposes, the program’s all-time high illegal sales rate is 25.93% with the low being 5.17%. “
Such sting operations have become regular occurrences since 2012.
“One store,” Cipolla said, “had two clerks responsible for their participation in the sale. Under Penal Code 308, it is a misdemeanor to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 21.”
The stores that had their first illegal sales tickets were: JJ’s Market in Arroyo Grande; Cayucos Gas & Mini Mart; and Woodstone Marketplace in Avila Beach.
Second violation stores were: Nipomo Marketplace Chevron; San Miguel Chevron (which was recently robbed at gunpoint); and San Miguel Market & Deli in Shandon.
Stores with a third violation were: Paul’s Liquor in Cayucos; Bob & Jan’s Bottle Shop in Cambria; and Cambria Chevron.
And one store, Oceano Market, got its fourth ticket.
Clerks caught allegedly selling to the decoys are issued a ticket and “notice to appear,” and Cipolla said will be prosecuted in Superior Court.
Also, “Any business responsible for the violation is subject to administrative penalties including suspension of their ability to retail tobacco and a $1000 fine for each offense,” he added. “First and second offender business may elect to participate in a diversion program aimed at reducing licensing suspensions in exchange for onsite employee education and point-of-sale upgrades that use technology to prevent future sales.”
The Tobacco Control Program offers training to store owners on how to refuse a sale, and how to read an identification and ways to identify underage buyers, which no doubt got more complicated after the hike in the legal age to buy tobacco.
Call the Tobacco Control Program at 781-5564 for information on this program. – Neil Farell
