Tobacco Sting Smokes Out Illegal Sales
The San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department netted 11 clerks around the county during a sting designed to catch tobacco sales to minors.
Sheriffs utilized underage decoys to regulate illegal sales of tobacco products to minors which they claim resulted in a 21.15% illegal sales rate in the unincorporated areas of the county. The unincorporated areas under the sheriff’s jurisdiction that were targeted were San Miguel, Santa Margarita, Cambria, Cayucos, Los Osos, Avila Beach, Oceano and Nipomo.
According to the sheriff’s department, eleven clerks of the fifty-two stores sold tobacco to the decoy. Of the eleven clerks cited for unlawful sales of tobacco products to a minor, only one did not ask the minor for identification prior to completing the sale.
The stores where sales to minors occurred, according to the sheriff’s department, were:
Avila Mercantile & Grocery, 354 Front Street, Avila Beach; Bob & Jan’s Bottle Shop, 2295 Main Street, Cambria; Old Cambria Market Place, 589 Main Street, Cambria; Paul’s Liquor, 101 N Ocean Boulevard, Cayucos; Ralphs # 271, 1240 Los Osos Valley Road; CVS Pharmacy #9782, 610 W Tefft Street, Nipomo; La Placita Market, 515 Orchard Road, Nipomo; Super Carniceria La Chiquita, 170 S Thompson Avenue, Nipomo; Vons Store #1621, 525 Tefft Street, Nipomo; Margarita Mercantile, 22304 G Street, Santa Margarita; and the San Simeon Mini Mart, 9520 Castillo Drive, San Simeon.
Read More:
Atascadero News: Santa Margarita Store Among 11 Busted for Selling Tobacco to a Minor
