Milford Businesses Selling Tobacco To Youths

An unannounced compliance inspection of businesses that sell online cigarettes products Wednesday revealed eight out of 24 city establishments sold items to youth under the age of 18 years old and the clerks were each fined $200, police said.

Police spokesman Officer Jeffrey Nielsen said members of the police department along with staff members of the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, and the Tobacco Prevention and Enforcement Program (TPEP), conducted the unannounced compliance inspections.

Nielsen said the inspections were performed in an effort to determine compliance with state laws concerning the prohibition of the sale of cigarettes store and discount cigarette online products to youth under the age of eighteen.

He said an underage youth employed by the TPEP entered the establishments and attempted to purchase cigarettes products. Nielsen said eight out of 24 businesses visited were found to be in violation and sold tobacco products to the underage youth. The offending clerks each received a $200 fine.

The cigarette dealer license holder at each establishment also faces additional administrative sanctions from the Department of Revenue Services, the state agency that issues cigarette dealer licenses, police said.

The following establishments were found to be in violation: Cumberland Farms at 1023 Boston Post Road, Woodmont Shell at 190 Woodmont Road, Choe Food Mart Shell at 1345 New Haven Ave., Friendly Liquor Store at 240 Broad St., Krausers at 631 Milford Point Road, Sassy’s Liquor Locker at 965 Bridgeport Ave., Krausers at 361 Bridgeport Ave., and One Stop Mart Sunoco at 298 Boston Post Road

Businesses found to be in compliance with the law were BP Gas Station, Friendly 29 Sunoco, Napoli Deli, Milford Tobacco Shop, News Den, Whiskey Barrel, Milford Smoke Junction, Buck Stop, Vineyard Package Store, and Mobil on the Run. Additionally, these businesses were found to be in compliance with the law are New Town Market & Deli, Pete’s Deli & News, One Stop Grocery & Convenience, Gromarts and Milford Quick Mart Sunoco.