CHARLOTTE ó During January, eight Alcohol Law Enforcement agents cited 11 store clerks in four counties for selling tobacco products to a minor. Three ALE agents checked 81 retail establishments in Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Rowan and Union.
As part of the state’s Tobacco Education and Compliance Check Program, ALE agents every month randomly check stores that sell cigarettes and other tobacco products to make sure the clerks are asking for identification and refusing sales to anyone under the age of 18.
Stores cited in Rowan County include:
– Pit Stop 15, 2412 S. Main St., Salisbury, clerk, Michelle Martinchio.
– Pine Ridge Store, 3510 Stokes Ferry Road, Salisbury, clerk, Star Brady.
– Gas-N-Go, 304 S. Salisbury Ave., Granite Quarry, clerk, Andrew Ferrare.
– Johnson BP, 8770 Highway 52, Rockwell, clerk, Angela Dawn Harris.
“Since starting these checks five years ago, we have seen the number of underage tobacco sales drop significantly,” said ALE Director William Chandler.
The N.C. Health and Wellness Trust Fund funds the tobacco check program to prevent young people from smoking.
“It’s easy for a store clerk to identify an underage person,” said Chandler. “A red border around the driver’s license means the person is under the age of 18. If you see red, the tobacco sale is dead.”
A District Court judge may fine a violator up to $1,000 or order community punishment of up to 30 days if the defendant has no prior convictions. If the clerk does have prior convictions, he or she could be serving time in jail as well. Selling tobacco to an underage person is a Class II misdemeanor.
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 N.C. Retail Merchants Association and the N.C. Association of Convenience Stores also support the tobacco campaign.