Health Dept. Busts 3 Stores
Published on May 19th, 1999
STONEHAM, MA - Three stores were caught selling cigarettes to minors in a Board of Health compliance check May 10.
Employees of BJ's Wholesale at 85 Cedar St. on the Woburn line., Dairy Mart at 140 Franklin St. and Dairy Mart at 427 Main St. sold cigarettes to 16-year-old girls.
"We have been doing these compliance checks for 4 1/2 years," said nurse Ruth Brophy, Stoneham's Tobacco Control Officer.
BJ's will pay a $100 fine as will both Dairy Marts. Neither Dairy Mart responded to phone messages.
A statement from the BJ's central offices in Natick called the sale "an isolated incident."
"The sale was made by a 'new team member' (employee), who was trained to ask for identification, but for some unknown reason did not in this case," said Julie Somers, a public relations officer at BJ's.
The Board of Health uses youths from neighboring community to sting the local stores. The money goes into the Health Department budget.
State law prohibits the sale of tobacco products to people under the age of 18. But, individual towns set their own fines. Stoneham merchants must pay $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second offense and $300 for subsequent violations. Cashiers who sell the tobacco to minors must also pay fines of $25 for a first offense, $50 for a second violation and $75 for any further instances.
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