Cherokee Agencies Bust 16 Stores Selling Vape Products To Minors

CHEROKEE COUNTY, GA — School starts back Thursday for students in Cherokee County, which made the local law enforcement step up their game to protect the teens.

Multiple police agencies teamed up with the Cherokee Marshal's Office July 25 to combat under-age vape sales from stores across Cherokee County. Officers from the Marshal's Office, Cherokee Sheriff's Office, Canton Police, Woodstock Police, Holly Springs Police and the Cherokee County School Police also assisted with the operation.

Approximately 15 teens ranging in ages from 14-17 assisted with the operation. The teens were taken to 87 different businesses countywide that sell vape products to attempt purchases.

Georgia Code 16-12-17 prohibits the sale of any vape product to any person under the age of 18.

Of the 87 stores visited, 16 stores, or 18 percent, made illegal sales to the juveniles. The suspects were identified and will be allowed to turn themselves into the Cherokee Adult Detention center within one week to be booked on the charge.

This was a combined effort by all the agencies involved to address the growing problem of children vaping.

The timing of the operation was no accident. Cherokee County schools starts this week, and the CCSD has enacted newer, more stringent repercussions for students caught with vape products on campus.

Beginning on the first day of school, any students found with vaping devices or oil will be treated as if they are in possession of felony-level marijuana, the district said.

This "extreme" zero-tolerance policy, with punishments including immediate external suspension from school, long-term reassignment to an alternative school and possible expulsion, comes in the wake of a rising number of students using these dangerous devices at school.

The policy will shift the burden to students to prove that their devices and oils do not contain marijuana-derived THC oil in order to avoid the most serious punishments, but even if that is proved, students still will face discipline for possessing nicotine-based or other vaping products.

"After receiving a number of complaints about underage persons buying these products we were eager to partner with other law enforcement agencies in an effort stop the sale of these products to our youth," Chief Ron Hunton said. "I want to thank all the agencies involved as well as our partnership with Cherokee Focus Drug Free Cherokee Coalition in this effort. I also want to remind all retailers in the County to ask for identification when selling these products or any product requiring ID - this type operation will be repeated in the future."

Names of the suspects charged will be released after they are officially arrested and booked in but the locations where the violations occurred are listed below:

• X Hale City, 9745 Hwy 92 Woodstock, Ga.
• Smoke 911, 8265 Hwy 92 Woodstock, Ga.
• Bells Ferry Chevron, 11429 Bells Ferry Rd. Canton, Ga.
• Sixed Rd. Texaco, 3780 Sixes Rd. Canton, Ga.
• Exxon Food Mart, 6425 Bells Ferry Rd. Woodstock, Ga.
• Riverside Express Food and Gas, 875 Towne Lake Pkwy. Woodstock, Ga.
• Ole 5 Vapor, 5335 Old Hwy. 5 Canton, Ga.
• Shell Food Mart, 9595 Main St. Woodstock, Ga.
• Shell Food Mart, 226 Towne Lake Pkwy. Woodstock, Ga.
• Chevron Food Mart, 238 Arnold Mill Rd. Woodstock, Ga.
• BP Gas Station, 12162 Hwy 92 Woodstock, Ga.
• C.J. Market Place, 14297 Fincher Rd. Canton, Ga.
• JBS Food Mart, 6929 Cumming Hwy. Canton, Ga.
• Friendly Mart, 2267 Hightower Rd. Ball Ground, Ga.
• Ole 5 Vapor, 4047 Marietta Hwy. Suite 100 Canton, Ga.
• Tobacco Mart, 1750 Marietta Hwy. Suite 200 Canton, Ga.