Suffolk County Executive Bellone Announces Underage Vape Sale Arrests in Undercover Operation

LongIsland.com

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart announced the results of an undercover sting, Operation Vape Out, which occurred from September 4 through September 18. The operation resulted in 32 violations issued to employees at 137 establishments that were randomly selected. The charges include Unlawfully Dealing with a Child, as well as the sale of e-cigarettes and tobacco products to people under 21. 

 

“After years of a steady decline in nicotine addiction and cigarette sales, the introduction of vaporizers has reversed this positive trend so that nicotine addiction is once again on the rise,” said Suffolk County Executive Bellone. “This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in Suffolk County. In a coordinated effort with the Suffolk County Police Department and the Department of Health, a sting operation uncovered 30 establishments that allegedly sold these products to minors and arrests have been made.”

 

Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said: “The department will continue to target the issue of vaping with increased education and enforcement efforts. We urge businesses to check IDs when selling vape products and abide by the ban of the sale of flavored e-cigarettes because we will continue to check for compliance.”

 

The Center of Disease Control and Prevention found that flavorings in tobacco products might make them more appealing to youth. In 2014, 73 percent of high school students and 56 percent of middle school students who used tobacco products in the past 30 days reported using a flavored tobacco product during that time.

 

The following businesses did not comply with Suffolk County law and were charged with the Sale of E-Cigarettes or Liquid Nicotine to Persons Under 21:

 

The following businesses were charged with Tobacco Products Sale Under 21 Prohibited:

 

The following businesses were charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child 2nd Degree:

 

The following business was issued a Notice of Violation of Public Health Law-Tobacco 21 by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services:  

 

In addition to being charged with the Sale of E-Cigarettes or Liquid Nicotine to Persons Under 21, House of Glass, Shamrock Gas Station, and Citgo 3 Star Gas were issued a Notice of Violation of Public Health Law-Tobacco 21 by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.  Additionally, Hemp Clouds and Hookah City were both charged with Unlawfully Dealing with a Child in the 2nd Degree and were issued a Notice of Violation of Public Health Law-Tobacco 21 by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services.

 

Between January and September, Suffolk County Health Department staff and youth agents inspected 1,591 businesses who sell tobacco products. Of the 1,591 inspections, 43 businesses sold tobacco products to the youth agent. One repeat violator has had their license to sell tobacco and lottery suspended and two additional businesses are pending suspension.

 

Dr. James Tomarken, Commissioner of Suffolk County Department of Health Services said, “Our tobacco enforcement team has done a great job in enforcing the law under New York State’s Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act. Vendors should understand that each time a vendor is caught selling a tobacco or vaping product to a person under the age of 21, that vendor will acquire two points on their license. If the vendor acquires three points within a three-year period of time, the vendor will lose its license to sell tobacco products and lottery tickets. This should be a great deterrent.”

 

Additionally, County Executive Bellone announced the expansion of the Health Department’s comprehensive vaping prevention and intervention program, known as VAPE OUT!, by adding community youth vaping cessation classes. The four week youth cessation group will facilitate the development of skills necessary for addressing their vaping use and dependence. School districts will be able to refer students to the vaping cessation group as an alternative to school suspension. 

 

In addition to the peer-to-peer education program, an alternative-to-suspension enforcement program, and a community-and-parent education forum, the program will now include a community vaping cessation program designed for those students caught vaping on school property and for youth interested in exploring vaping cessation methods.

 

Vape Out now employs a four-pronged approach to vaping prevention, comprising a peer-to-peer education program, an alternative-to-suspension enforcement program, a community-and-parent education forum, and now cessation classes.

 

Suffolk County Public Health Educators will continue to provide peer-to-peer education programs for students, alternative-to-suspension training for school staff and community-and-parent education forums. In addition, Suffolk County. Public Health Sanitarians will continue to enforce the Adolescent Tobacco Use Prevention Act and Suffolk County’s Tobacco 21 Law. 

 

The peer education program was piloted in North Babylon, Port Jefferson, Eastport-South Manor, Amityville, Hampton Bays and Bayport-Blue Point school districts. Over 200 high school students were trained as peer educators and they presented VAPE OUT! to over 1,840 middle school students. In addition, 4,000 secondary school students were directly educated on the fact that there is no such thing as a safe vape.

 

In each peer education training, approximately 30 student volunteers spend a full day learning how to talk to younger students about the dangers of vaping. Presentation and communication skills are taught using dynamic, interactive applied-improvisation methods. Peer education programs have been shown to be a protective factor in preventing risky behaviors for the teen presenters, as well as for the students that they teach.