Young people aid law enforcement in enforcing tobacco law
Posted on Wednesday, April 30, 2008
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/tnebc/News/4352/
On a recent afternoon in a Pea Ridge store, with a young woman asking for cigarettes, the clerk struggled mightily to figure out her age.
The clerk read the birth date on the driver’s license, then typed the numbers into a calculator.
But she needn’t have to do any math at all. All the information she needed was staring up from the driver’s license.
Arkansas has a new style of driver’s license and identification cards designed to distinguish persons under 18 and under 21 more easily, according to Glenn Redding, enforcement agent for the state Tobacco Control Board.
The new ID cards for minors are vertical. In addition, a red border goes around the photograph and date of birth. For those under 18, there is also a yellow strip denoting the date of birth.
Redding, one of eight enforcement agents in the state, sometimes takes 15- to 17-yearold youths, armed with a concealed camera, to stores. He has the teens attempt to purchase tobacco.
“ We’re not trying to trick anyone, ” he said. “ We have strict rules from the Health Department. ”
The youngsters who are hired by Redding do not look older than their age. He has turned down some applicants because they looked too old.
“ All agents use 15- to 17-yearolds twice a week. They’re paid by the state. They sign a waiver, ” he said. “ We always videotape — for the protection of the minor and for evidence in court. ”
Redding said the youth are not allowed to lie about their age.
The agents take the action with youths this age because, he said, youngsters are getting hooked on tobacco at these ages. He is trying to prevent that.
“ Probably in 60 percent of the sales to minors, the clerk does not look at the ID. It’s a lack of training for the most part, ” he said.
Some clerks do not even ask for identification. Redding said that all clerks who work at stores which sell tobacco are required to fill out a tobaccoserver awareness form in which the employee agrees not to sell cigarettes or other tobacco products to anyone under 18 years of age.
When a clerk sells tobacco to an under-age customer, Redding returns and serves a citation. He must also re-check the store within 90 days of the violation.
“ There is a zero tolerance, ” Redding said, explaining that it is the store manager’s responsibility to properly train employees.
“ Most aren’t criminals, they’re just making an error in addition or judgment. ”
“ I’ve offered to come to individual stores to train, ” he said, adding that his department has provided training classes at an area tobacco shop.
Redding also works to discover and eliminate smuggling of tobacco products, which he says is the No. 1 smuggled legal item in the U. S. because of its price markup. He said smugglers will purchase tobacco products in a state where tobacco is less expensive, then bring it to Arkansas to resell it and avoid taxes.
“ Retailers go across the lines and buy from wholesalers, ” he said. “ We try to stop the smugglers and sales to minors. ”
Redding, a certified law enforcement agent, covers 10 counties across the northern portion of the state. He said there are three agents in the central area around Little Rock, and others spread around the state.