(Red Oak) The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Red Oak Police Department will be conducting compliance checks on local establishments as part of the I-Pledge program.
Red Oak Police Chief Justin Rhamey says I-Pledge is a partnership with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverage Division to educate retailers and to enforce Iowa’s tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor product laws.
“Essentially we go around and check retail businesses that sell tobacco products to make sure they’re following rules and regulations,” said Rhamey. “Those regulations involve asking for identification from any person purchasing tobacco.”
Chief Rhamey says underage customers, under supervision of law enforcement officials, will enter establishments and attempt to buy tobacco, alternative nicotine and vapor products. By participating in the program, the Sheriff’s Office and Police Department have committed to do its part to increase the compliance rate, even more, this year.
“We try to be proactive in prohibiting minors from using tobacco and tobacco products for health and safety reasons,” said Chief Rhamey.
Clerks who make the illegal sale will be cited on the spot. Criminal penalties for selling to a minor include a $100.00 fine for a first offense, a $250.00 fine for a second offense and a $500.00 fine for a third or subsequent offense. Rhamey says handing out citations is not the intent of the I-Pledge program.
Since the program began in 2000, the statewide tobacco compliance rate has grown 91-percent.
