Two Local Businesses Caught Selling Cigarettes to Minors

Two popular businesses in Tolland were recently caught selling cigarettes to minors.

The at 237 Merrow Rd. and , LLC (Sunoco), at 404 Merrow Rd. sold cigarettes to an underage youth on Jan. 28 during an unannounced compliance inspection of 14 establishments in town, according to state police.

An underage youth, employed by the Tobacco Prevention and Enforcement Program (TPEP), entered the convenience stores and attempted to tobacco products, according to state police. The juvenile was successful and 7-Eleven and Tolland Quick Stop were found in violation of selling tobacco to a person younger than 18 years old, police said.

Enforcement officials gave the offending clerks a $200 infraction, according to police. The individual who holds the cigarette dealer license at each of the businesses was also found in violation of the law and will be referred to the Department of Revenue Services for additional administrative sanctions, police said.

Members of the Connecticut State Police, Tolland Resident Troopers and Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS) work with the TPEP to inspect establishments that sell tobacco products to verify their compliance with state laws that prohibit selling such items to people younger than 18 years old.

On Feb. 9, an employee at 7-Eleven said the store’s procedure for selling cigarettes is to check the ID of anyone who “looks under the age of 37.” He also said a second way to check a person’s age is when their card is scanned on a lottery machine. “It will tell you if someone’s over 18,” he said. 

An employee at Tolland Quick Stop said the store’s policy is to not sell to anyone who looks under the age of 35.