only on 12 news an i-team investigation
exposing business owners who sell vape
and tobacco products to teens I just
asked for Easter goats and he said
suggests that these no they didn't
that's for anything no ID no age they're
supposed to be the gatekeepers at the
very least following the law but instead
they're assuring in an epidemic Arizona
business owners and clerks caught on
camera
selling underage teens vape and tobacco
products Joe Dana went undercover with
state investigators here's the problem
teachers parents and police are having a
difficult enough time trying to keep
vape products out of the hands of teens
instead of helping them in the fight
these store owners are making it worse
agent how are you I'm Joe an undercover
sting the Arizona Attorney General
deploying full-time investigators
alongside undercover teens a 16 year old
girl and 15 year old boy equipped with
cash and a state ID are the buyers looks
like you got something there in your
hand do you want to be an undercover
agent when you're older I always wanted
to be part of the like the SWAT task
force or CTU test work which is a
counter-terrorist unit we'll follow you
and then regroup
[Music]
the operations in west Phoenix and Tempe
20 stores in all the kids go in and out
putting store clerks to the test this
Glendale hookah lounge owner would not
take the bait
I say consulate to you assorted man I
think it's important we have people like
you we want to do the right thing
thank you so much but six of the twenty
store clerks did sell to the teens at
tempies up in smoke this store already
has five violations and this time uh he
did ask for my ID he looked at it he
handed it back to me I was like is there
a problem sir he is like no the clerk
not only sells to the undercover teen
but recommended this the concentration
of nicotine and this one cartridge is so
high it's equal to about seventy five
cigarettes it's not uncommon for someone
to smoke what's in here within a day or
two this product has an extremely high
level of nicotine when we try to get
answers can we ask you why you you
recommended this to a 16 year old at
smokers heaven in Phoenix the undercover
teen bought 50 dollars of eight products
she saw me pull out my ID he didn't even
s so this is the second violation for
smokers heaven in the last year my
name's Joe Dana I'm with 12 News could
you tell us why you sold the products to
a minor
don't do it this is the first time
happen the Attorney General's Office
tells us this happened in the last year
its first time had never happened if you
have a school over right over there it
seems like you would be much more
careful yeah but with this stores caught
get fines around $300 citations to both
the business and to the clerk I gave
them information a diversion class but
is it all enough Attorney General mark
burnovich worries tobacco retailers view
the fines as the cost of doing business
he wants stiffer penalties so the way
the law is written right now it doesn't
matter whether you're a first-time
offender or this is your tenth time
being busted it's the same fines the
feint same fine structure some smaller
stores might feel it but for large
retailers like Food City which was also
busted the fine is hardly a financial
hit regarding the incident the parent
company of Food City fascism tells 12
news bashes family of stores takes the
sale of tobacco extremely seriously in
the particular instance the individual
involved was relatively new to our team
and had received all of the proper
onboarding training immediately
following the occurrence that member was
disciplined in addition to attending a
retraining program no ID no age the
Attorney General wants lawmakers to
stiffen penalties for stores that
repeatedly violate the law in the hopes
they stop selling to minors if you don't
do something about this now we're not
aggressive about it we are gonna have a
whole generation that's gonna be
addicted to nicotine tobacco products
this is a statewide problem we found
over the past three years alone 959
Arizona businesses will repeat offenders
caught more than once
selling nicotine products to minors they
include big-name grocery stores and gas
stations see more of our investigation
at 12 News calm back to you
exposing business owners who sell vape
and tobacco products to teens I just
asked for Easter goats and he said
suggests that these no they didn't
that's for anything no ID no age they're
supposed to be the gatekeepers at the
very least following the law but instead
they're assuring in an epidemic Arizona
business owners and clerks caught on
camera
selling underage teens vape and tobacco
products Joe Dana went undercover with
state investigators here's the problem
teachers parents and police are having a
difficult enough time trying to keep
vape products out of the hands of teens
instead of helping them in the fight
these store owners are making it worse
agent how are you I'm Joe an undercover
sting the Arizona Attorney General
deploying full-time investigators
alongside undercover teens a 16 year old
girl and 15 year old boy equipped with
cash and a state ID are the buyers looks
like you got something there in your
hand do you want to be an undercover
agent when you're older I always wanted
to be part of the like the SWAT task
force or CTU test work which is a
counter-terrorist unit we'll follow you
and then regroup
[Music]
the operations in west Phoenix and Tempe
20 stores in all the kids go in and out
putting store clerks to the test this
Glendale hookah lounge owner would not
take the bait
I say consulate to you assorted man I
think it's important we have people like
you we want to do the right thing
thank you so much but six of the twenty
store clerks did sell to the teens at
tempies up in smoke this store already
has five violations and this time uh he
did ask for my ID he looked at it he
handed it back to me I was like is there
a problem sir he is like no the clerk
not only sells to the undercover teen
but recommended this the concentration
of nicotine and this one cartridge is so
high it's equal to about seventy five
cigarettes it's not uncommon for someone
to smoke what's in here within a day or
two this product has an extremely high
level of nicotine when we try to get
answers can we ask you why you you
recommended this to a 16 year old at
smokers heaven in Phoenix the undercover
teen bought 50 dollars of eight products
she saw me pull out my ID he didn't even
s so this is the second violation for
smokers heaven in the last year my
name's Joe Dana I'm with 12 News could
you tell us why you sold the products to
a minor
don't do it this is the first time
happen the Attorney General's Office
tells us this happened in the last year
its first time had never happened if you
have a school over right over there it
seems like you would be much more
careful yeah but with this stores caught
get fines around $300 citations to both
the business and to the clerk I gave
them information a diversion class but
is it all enough Attorney General mark
burnovich worries tobacco retailers view
the fines as the cost of doing business
he wants stiffer penalties so the way
the law is written right now it doesn't
matter whether you're a first-time
offender or this is your tenth time
being busted it's the same fines the
feint same fine structure some smaller
stores might feel it but for large
retailers like Food City which was also
busted the fine is hardly a financial
hit regarding the incident the parent
company of Food City fascism tells 12
news bashes family of stores takes the
sale of tobacco extremely seriously in
the particular instance the individual
involved was relatively new to our team
and had received all of the proper
onboarding training immediately
following the occurrence that member was
disciplined in addition to attending a
retraining program no ID no age the
Attorney General wants lawmakers to
stiffen penalties for stores that
repeatedly violate the law in the hopes
they stop selling to minors if you don't
do something about this now we're not
aggressive about it we are gonna have a
whole generation that's gonna be
addicted to nicotine tobacco products
this is a statewide problem we found
over the past three years alone 959
Arizona businesses will repeat offenders
caught more than once
selling nicotine products to minors they
include big-name grocery stores and gas
stations see more of our investigation
at 12 News calm back to you
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