August 31, 2001

Turlock's businesses overall did not fare well this year in a "tobacco sting" operation which surveyed sales to under-age youth.

The Tobacco Education Program (TEP) ran the sting last week involving some 40 under-age youth and 150 Stanislaus County stores including 18 Turlock businesses.

Overall, the Stanislaus County numbers have gone down.

However, in Turlock the number of under-age sales went up drastically.

This year, out of 18 stores, five stores sold tobacco to minors -- compared to only one out of 18 Turlock stores in 2000.

For the fourth year in a row, the TEP surveyed under-age tobacco sales throughout the county.

County-wide, 13.3 percent of stores sold tobacco to youth. One hundred-fifty stores were surveyed; 20 of them had under-age sales. Last year, 16 percent of Stanislaus County stores sold tobacco to under-age youth.

When the first tobacco sting was done in 1995 there was a 50-percent sales rate in Stanislaus County.

The under-age volunteers met early Saturday morning for an orientation about the survey, and then they were divided up by area. Two teen-agers were placed with one adult driver. They were each given a route with about 12 to 18 designated stores in each area.

When they reached the store, the adult driver would park the car out of view of the cashier. The adult would enter the store first, and the minor would follow about two to three minutes later.

They were not allowed to recognize each other during the transaction.

Although the minors, ages 15-17, are not actually allowed to take the cigarettes, it is considered a sale if the cashier rings up the tobacco and asks for money.

Sometimes the cashier would look at the minors' identification but only look at the picture, look at the date of birth and sell the tobacco anyways -- or they didn't ask for ID at all.

The teen-age volunteers were not allowed to lie about their age when asked.

Daniela Gutierrez, a 16-year-old from Modesto, said the cashiers in Turlock would sometimes ask their age and then sell the tobacco anyways.

They were sold cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco.

When offered the tobacco, the survey volunteers were to say,"Oh, I left my money in the car," and then leave.

"The people who sold weren't the ones I expected to sell," Lindsey Henson, an adult driver, said.

Mary Sherwood, the purchase survey coordinator, said that all the merchants are chosen at random. They are not "picking on" individual stores.

The results of the survey are analyzed and then given to the county Tobacco Prevention Program and also local police departments. The merchants who sell tobacco are not fined but educated about selling tobacco to minors.

Because of possible abuse, a list is not published publicly as to which stores sold tobacco. "We use [the survey] as an educational tool for stores that sell tobacco," David Jones of the Tobacco Educational Program said. "We support establishments that serve the law."

The stores who sold tobacco will be receiving a letter informing them that their store was surveyed and that an employee tried to sell tobacco to a minor. The store will then receive information on selling tobacco and the TEP will hold training session for their staff.

"Part of the orientation is to help educate them on the use of tobacco," Jones said. "Hopefully, as a result of our efforts, they avoid fines."

Henson, who helped with training sessions after last year's sting, said they are usually only helpful if a manager is involved. Otherwise, store clerks don't seem to care who they sell to.

"Just because the law says one thing, people are going to break it anyways just to make a few bucks," Gutierrez said.

"It's an OK law," Gutierrez added. "It should be like the drinking law at 21. Everything bad should be hold off as long as possible."

Heidi Rowley is a reported for the Turlock Journal. Her e-mail address is hiedir@turlockjournal.com.

Reprinted by permission of the Turlock Journal.