Southington Stores Cited For Selling Tobacco/Vapes To Minors: STEPS

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Clearks at three local stores have been cited by the Southington Police Department for selling tobacco/vape products to underage customers during an enforcement operation Dec. 11.

According to the locally-based STEPS organization Friday, those stores are Cigar and Vape, 400 N. Main St.; Sunoco, 393 Main St.; and Vape and Tobacco World, 235 Queen St.

STEPS is an acronym for Southington's Town-wide Effort to Promote Success, a drug and substance-use prevention organization in town that works with local schools and police.

The enforcement operation was an initiative of the SPD and the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Service's "Tobacco Prevention and Enforcement Program (TPEP).

STEPS said the operation was unannounced, with four retailers recognized by law enforcers for complying with the law.

Those operations were: Puff City, 244 Queen St.; Sammy Smoke Shop, 5 N. Main St.; Gassman/Food Mart, 570 Main St.; and Land Smoke Shop and Convenience, 722 West St.

Police said clerks at the three offending stores were fined $300 for either selling tobacco to persons under 21 or selling e-cigarettes to persons under 21.

According to police, the law states anyone who appears to be under 30 should be asked to show identification to purchase tobacco/vape products.

STEPS said vaping, especially, is a growing scourge locally.

The organization Friday unveiled some concerning statistics Friday about vaping in town, citing recent surveys for students in grades 7, 9, and 11 who took a survey. Those include:

• A 33 percent increase in vaping among students from 2020 and 2022.

• 12 percent of students in 2022 said they vaped within 30 days, up from 9 percent in 2020.

"Prohibiting youth access to vape and tobacco products is a major way of deterring use, so we thank the establishments and clerks that comply with our state laws," wrote STEPS in a release.

For more information on Connecticut statutes regarding vaping/tobacco sales, click on this link.

For more information on the STEPS organization, click on this link.