It's a big problem for many states -- stopping the illegal sale of cheap cigarettes to minors. Wednesday, Arizona's attorney general gave us an update on how the program is doing.
Underage kids set up clerks to hand over cigarettes illegally as part of a sting operation called Counter Strike. It began in 2002 and Wednesday we got this year's results.
The kids who pose as underage cigarettes store buyers for the group have hit 2,000 stores across the state, and they try to get away with breaking the law.
"288 or nearly 15 percent failed because they sold cheap cigarette online to minors," said Attorney General Tom Horne.
Teens reported many cashiers didn't even check their ID. Others would glance at it, but didn't do the math and realize they were underage. Others would swipe it through the machine and sell it anyway.
Tom Horne says more rural stores failed the test than urban ones. But overall the failure rate has gone down since the program was initiated in 2002.
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