Centralia Police say one of 19 licensed retail businesses in Centralia that sell tobacco sold to an underage person during the latest compliance checks completed on Thursday.
Ronald Winkenwerder of Biggie’s Tobacco Plus at 1235 West Broadway was given a citation for the sale of tobacco to a minor and a notice to appear in court.
The city receives a grant from the Illinois Liquor Control Commission’s ‘Kids Can’t Buy ‘Em Here’ Tobacco Enforcement Program as part of a program to educate tobacco retailers on minimum-age tobacco laws and the importance of verifying the age of their customers.
Centralia Police Chief Greg Dodson is congratulating the retail managers and clerks who denied the sale to minors. He notes 90-percent of current adult smokers started their addiction to tobacco before they were legally able to purchase the product. Studies have also identified tobacco as a gateway drug for youth leading to more illicit drug use.
The legal age for possessing and sale of tobacco and vaping products that contain Nicotine is 21.
