Businesses Cited in Teen Smoking Sting

As smoking among teenagers continues to increase, a sting operation revealed that 50% of local merchants illegally sold cigarettes to minors, officials said Tuesday.

Under a state program aimed at reducing teenage tobacco addiction, 15- and 16-year-old decoys entered 40 businesses in recent weeks, and walked out with cigarettes in hand at 20 of the stores targeted, said Carlos Hanessian, spokesman for the Department of Health Services’ food and drug branch.

A variety of stories were targeted, including convenience stores, supermarkets and gas stations.

In some cases, the teenagers were allowed to buy cigarettes even when they presented identification showing that they were under 18, Hanessian said. The stores that violated the law were later cited.

Santa Ana was chosen for the undercover investigation because state officials received numerous complaints from residents saying they suspected merchants of illegally selling cigarettes to minors.

“The problem seems to be more severe in Santa Ana,” said Hanessian, whose agency branch covers Orange and San Diego counties.

The teenagers were accompanied by Department of Health Services agents.

So far this year, authorities have cited about 450 merchants statewide for selling tobacco to minors, which carries fines of $200 to $6,000, depending on the number of prior offenses.

Although smoking among adults has waned in recent years, authorities have seen an increase in teenage smokers. In the last five years, the percentage of smokers among those aged 16 through 18 has increased from less than 10% to more than 20%.

Marilyn Pritchard, coordinator of the county’s Tobacco Use Prevention Program, said her group is trying to tackle the problem by educating merchants, reducing tobacco-industry advertising and fighting to keep cigarette vending machines out of children’s reach.

“We’re doing well with adults,” Pritchard said. “We are seeing a problem among kids. That’s a group we’re watching with great concern.”