Businesses pass NSP tobacco checks

Eight businesses passed the Nebraska State Patrol tobacco checks for the area that were held in July, the NSP announced this month.

The NSP conducted the Synar checks in an effort to enforce laws prohibiting the sale or distribution of tobacco products to individuals under age 18 years. Officers with the assistance of youth under the age of 18 checked convenience stores, grocery stores and liquor stores throughout Kimball, Cheyenne and Scotts Bluff counties in July. None of the eight businesses checked sold tobacco to the underage person.

Businesses that were checked include: Sportsman’s Liquor in Kimball, Sonny’s Super Foods, Two J’s Liquor, Smoker Friendly and Family Dollar in Sidney, Pony Express Station and Dollar General in Gering, and Pink Palace in McGrew.

“Research shows that when communities consistently conduct compliance checks and keep failure rates below 10 percent, children in those communities are less likely to use tobacco products,” stated Tabi Prochazka, Tobacco Free in the Panhandle Coordinator with Panhandle Public Health District.

In July 1992, Congress enacted the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act, which includes the Synar Amendment, aimed at decreasing youth access to tobacco. This amendment requires states, territories, and the District of Columbia to enact and enforce laws prohibiting the sale or distribution of tobacco products to individuals under age 18 years.