3 Stores Cited in North-Side Tobacco Sting

Source from:  kansas.com BY STAN FINGER The Wichita Eagle 01/21/2008

Concerned by the number of students being cited for having cigarettes, school resource officers in north-side schools asked for a tobacco sting in neighborhood shops. That sting, conducted Thursday, caught three tobacco shops selling tobacco products to minors, police said. Eleven other businesses that police checked committed no violations. A similar sting last year resulted in nine shops being cited for violations, Sgt. Jeff Davis of Patrol North said Thursday. "So you could say they're moving toward compliance, but there are some that just don't get the message," Davis said. B&B Liquor and Tobacco, 1918 E. 13th St., and Central Smoke Shop, 2718 E. Central, were cited for selling tobacco products to minors. That offense carries a $111 fine, including court costs. U.S. Gas and Grocery, 25th and Hillside, was cited for selling single cigarettes. That also carries a $111 fine, including court costs. B & B Liquor and Central Smoke Shop were also cited and fined because they did not have a license to sell tobacco products. All three businesses were also cited by the state division of Alcohol and Beverage Control for selling tobacco products to underage persons, which carries a fine of up to $1,000. Central Smoke Shop owner Terry Johnson said Friday that his store was not visited as part of the sting, and insisted he watches carefully for minors who want to buy tobacco products. "You've got to be aware," Johnson said. Youngsters come in for candy and soda and sometimes they try to buy something they aren't allowed to, he said. "They like these," Johnson said, pointing out small cigars near the thick glass that separates customers from the store merchandise. Minors caught in possession of cigarettes face a fine of $111, including court costs. More stings can be expected, Davis said. The next one will likely come this spring. "We do write a lot of cigarette violations -- even in junior high," he said. Enditem