All 12 West End retailers who were the focus of tobacco law compliance checks last month refused to sell tobacco to minors, said Jill Dole, tobacco prevention and control specialist for the Clallam County.
Two adults representing Clallam County Health & Human Services and two 15-year-old teenagers on spring break from high school left the Clallam County Courthouse in Port Angeles early on April 7 to conduct compliance checks in West Port Angeles, Beaver, Forks, Kalaloch Lodge, LaPush, Neah Bay, Sekiu and Clallam Bay, Dole said.
“It was a long day covering over 270 miles, but it was well worth it,” she said.
“This is the first time in my experience conducting compliance checks that no tobacco retailers in the West End of the county have sold to underage youth.”
There have been 26 compliance checks done county-wide this spring without one sale, Dole added.
The businesses that did not sell tobacco to minors, earning certificates of appreciation, are Fairmount Grocery, Wagner’s Grocery, Lake Pleasant Grocery, Evergreen 76, Ron’s Food Mart, Tesoro Number 408, Forks Thriftway Market, Three Rivers Resort, Kalaloch Lodge, Ray’s Grocery, Washburn’s General Store and Weel Road Deli.
It is illegal to sell or provide tobacco products to youth under the age of 18.
A federal law known as the Synar Amendment requires all 50 states to conduct random compliance checks with tobacco retailers each year.
Each county in the state is responsible for conducting compliance checks. In 2010, the Clallam County Tobacco Prevention and Control Program will conduct more than 50 compliance checks countywide.
Stores that do sell receive a fine issued by the Liquor Control Board according to the number of sales in a two-year period.
The first offense calls for a $100 fine for the store owner and a $50 fine for the clerk who sold the tobacco.
The second offense nets a $300 fine. The third offense results in a $1,000 fine and a six-month tobacco license suspension, and the fourth offense leads to a $1,500 fine and a 12-month license suspension.
A fifth offense results in a permanent license revocation.
According to the latest Healthy Youth Survey, 20 percent of Clallam County high school seniors are using tobacco products.
The adult tobacco use rate in Washington state is 16.2 percent.
Dole is available to conduct retailer education sessions, either one-on-one, or with groups, to help clerks learn about the laws concerning sales of tobacco and how to properly check for identification from every customer.
For more information, phone Dole at 360-565-2608 or e-mail her at jdole@co.clallam.wa.us.
