| Studies show that minors who do not begin smoking | | | | who attempts to purchase tobacco who appears to |
| before the age of 20 are less likely to pick up a | | | | be under the age of 18. The vendor reserves the right |
| tobacco habit later in life. Minors are impressionable, | | | | to refuse a sale to anyone who cannot provide an |
| and many start smoking heavily before the age of 18. | | | | acceptable and valid form of identification. |
| To prevent minors from developing harmful habits, the | | | | To catch vendors making illegal sales, sometimes |
| nationwide legal smoking age is 18. | | | | police send a minor into the store either without I.D. or |
| However, despite the laws designed to keep minors | | | | with their own I.D. and have them attempt to purchase |
| from smoking, they still manage to attain cigarettes and | | | | tobacco. If the vendor does not ask for identification or |
| other tobacco products from older friends, relatives, or | | | | checks the I.D. and still makes the sale, the vendor can |
| tobacco vendors. It is illegal to buy, sell, or give | | | | face fines or even jail time. In some cases, the |
| cigarettes to minors. The federal law states that if | | | | establishment may have his or her vendor's license |
| anyone is caught selling or otherwise providing | | | | revoked, especially if the vendor is a repeat offender. |
| cigarettes to minors, the provider can be charged with | | | | This is one common way that police catch violators |
| a misdemeanor, with penalties ranging from a fine to | | | | who provide cigarettes to minors. |
| up to three months in jail. | | | | However, sometimes a vendor's cigarette license can |
| Those who sell tobacco are required to be familiar | | | | be revoked under unfair pretenses, or a person can |
| with the laws regarding selling cigarettes and other | | | | be charged unfairly in selling or providing cigarettes to |
| tobacco products. In Alabama, Alaska, Utah, and | | | | minors. Perhaps the buyer looked much older than 18, |
| certain counties in New York, a person must be at | | | | or maybe other circumstances came into play. |
| least 19 years old to purchase cigarettes, even though | | | | Regardless, if you have been charged with providing |
| those over the age of 18 are legally allowed to smoke. | | | | tobacco to a minor and as a result face jail time, |
| These laws are in effect so that high school students | | | | excessive fines, or business trouble because of a |
| are less able to provide tobacco for their younger, | | | | revoked tobacco license, you may want to seek legal |
| underage peers. Any vendor who sells tobacco | | | | assistance. |
| products is required by law to check the I.D. of anyone | | | | |