ABTC Director David R. Maratita told the Variety yesterday that they conduct sting operations and monitor stores that sell tobacco to minors.
“If we catch stores selling tobacco to minors, we issue citations and process the violation against the retailers,” Maratita said.
He added that they issued citations to several retailers last year and this year.
“We conducted our first sting operation in the first and second weeks of this month, and we caught some retailers selling tobacco to minors,” he said.
He added that the violators will go through administrative processes.
“For the first offense, we will issue a warning letter. The second offense means a fine of $500 and the third offense may result to a suspension of the license for a week,” Maratita said.
There are 259 tobacco retailers on island, excluding the wholesalers.
ABTC yesterday conducted a half-day workshop on its current and future programs and shared information regarding the latest updates about the tobacco brands allowed on island.
Maratita said the tobacco merchant workshop is supposed to be an annual program but they didn’t conduct one last year due to budget constraint.
He said they may conduct more tobacco workshops to inform more tobacco retailers about the tobacco law.
Maratita added that they plan to conduct a separate alcohol workshop for bartenders, waitresses, waiters and bar owners.
Since the enactment of Public Law 11-75 on March 26, 1999, ABTC Dhas been working closely with the Department of Public Health and the Community Guidance Center to combat the use of tobacco products among the CNMI youth.
Maratita said they have been conducting public education and quarterly sting operations on Saipan, Tinian and Rota.
Conducting the workshop with Maratita yesterday in the Napu Room of the Pacific Islands Club was tobacco program coordinator Edward DLC. Camacho.
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