Three stores cited for selling tobacco products to minors

By Mark E. Vogler

SAUGUS – The North Shore/Cape Ann Tobacco Alcohol Policy Program found that three Saugus stores violated town Board of Health regulations by selling tobacco products to minors. The businesses cited face $5,000 in fines collectively, according to Board of Health Director John Fralick. The citations stem from compliance checks of 26 establishments conducted on Jan. 4.

Massachusetts state law requires a person to be 21 in order to buy any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Two of the establishments are second-time offenders: Mobil at 368 Broadway and Speedway at 220 Broadway. Each business faces a $2,000 fine in addition to a seven-day suspension from selling tobacco products. “Kristos Mini Mart, at 465 Essex St., is a first-time offender and faces a $1,000 fine,” Fralick said.

Establishments that commit a third offense face a $5,000 fine and a 30-day suspension of their permit to sell tobacco products.

“We definitely have seen an improvement, at least during the time that I’ve been here,” Fralick told the Board of Health at Monday (Jan. 8) night’s meeting regarding overall compliance of tobacco regulations.

But a few companies don’t follow proper procedures by scanning ID cards to make sure of a customer’s age. And in some instances, the business accepts the person’s word for their age instead of doing the ID check. “We are going to be watching these things like hawks,” Fralick said.

“We try to tell folks that the easiest thing to do is to not bypass the system… People need to learn, unfortunately, it all comes from the pocket,” he said.

Board of Health Chair Maria Tamagna said, “I think the best advice we can give to the shop owners is to just ID everybody.”

“And if you get into the habit of scanning IDs, you’re not going to run into a problem,” she said.