Scotts Valley Police Dept. cracks down on illegal sales of tobacco

In an effort to reduce the use of and illegal sale of tobacco products to minors, the Scotts Valley Police Department said it teamed up with a 16-year-old student to make cigarette sales compliance checks at eleven convenience stores and gas stations throughout the city last week.

On Mar. 5, three out of eleven locations sold cigarettes to the decoy, police said.

The police department said the clerks who failed the test were arrested and released with a citation. Clerks who properly asked for an identification, checked them to see if they were valid and refused to sell, were given a congratulatory certificate and a thank you from the police department.

The police department said clerks cited worked at 76 Gas, Village Bottle Shop and Discount Smoke Shop.

The police department said it would like to recognize the following businesses for helping the fight against underage smoking by refusing to sell tobacco products to minor. They include:

Chevron Hacienda Shell Valero Quick Stop U Save Liquors Mt. Hermon Shell Scotts Valley Gas 7-Eleven

According to the California Department of Public Health, stores that specifically sell tobacco, are the highest violators of tobacco sales to minors in the state, selling to minors 18.6 percent of the time.