Park Ridge, Illinois Police Department tested 15 Park Ridge businesses this month in a tobacco sting operation.
Every business successfully complied with Illinois law and refused to sell tobacco products to a minor. These businesses all possess city tobacco licenses.
Sting operations are conducted at intervals to ensure that businesses do not sell tobacco products or accessories to anyone under age 18. In addition to forbidding sales of tobacco to minors, Illiniois law does not permit sales clerks under age 16 to sell tobacco products. The only exception is if the underage sales clerk is the son or daughter of the owner in a family-owned business.
The penalty for violating the law is $200 for a first offense, $400 for a second offense within one year and $600 per subsequent offense in the same one year period. The law also includes smokeless tobacco products and herbs sold for smoking.
Alerts Sign-up