Underage Vape Sale Bust Leads To Charges For 14 Loudoun Shops

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — An undercover operation by the Loudoun County Sheriff's Office led to 14 shops being busted for underage vape product sales.

The sheriff's office went to 32 vape shops in Loudoun County, including the Town of Leesburg. There were 14 shops who sold to an underage customer through the undercover bust. The operation was prompted by concerns from parents and teachers about underage liquid nicotine and vaping product use and rapid growth of the vape market.

Selling vape products, or any tobacco, alternative nicotine or hemp product is a violation under Virginia code. The penalty for the first violation within 36 months is $1,000, the second violation's penalty is $5,000, and the third violation's penalty is $10,000. If an employee violates the law, an additional fine may be issued to the business.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaping poses health risks to young people. Many e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which can hurt the brain development that continues until age 25. The CDC believes the aerosol from e-cigarettes may also include cancer-causing chemicals and small particles inhaled into the lungs. Scientists are still studying the long-term and short-term effects of vaping.

The businesses where store clerks or owners were cited include:

• Ashburn Cigar and Tobacco, Ashburn
• Ashburn Cigar and Vape, Ashburn
• Imperial Tobacco, Ashburn
• Tobacco Hut, Ashburn
• Smoke N Vape, Broadlands
• Tobacco Hut, Broadlands
• Diamond Tobacco & Vape, Lansdowne
• Tobacco Hut, Leesburg
• Tobacco King & Vape, Leesburg
• EZ Tobacco, Lovettsville
• Imperial Tobacco, Sterling
• Sterling Smoke, Sterling
• Sterling Vape Shop, Sterling
• Tobacco King, Sterling