The Coalition, Inc. has partnered with the Angelina County Sheriff’s Department in an effort to prevent and reduce the harmful use of tobacco products in rural areas like East Texas, where tobacco-related health problems are more prevalent. With funding from the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University, the Angelina County Sheriff’s Department conducted underage compliance checks for area businesses that sell tobacco.
The age limit to purchase tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, is 21, per the guidelines from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). Out of the 49 attempts in June and July, 6 citations were issued to businesses that sold tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to minors.
Sharon Kruk, Executive Director of The Coalition, Inc. says, “Our ultimate goal is to keep the youth in our community safe from the harmful effects of underage tobacco use; we are proud to partner with the Angelina County Sheriff’s Department and the Texas School Safety Center to work towards that goal.”
Many businesses that were visited did not sell tobacco to minors and The Coalition and the Angelina County Sheriff’s Department commend them for protecting the youth of Angelina County from the dangers of tobacco and nicotine. To see the full list of businesses and whether or not they sold to minors, visit https://www.angelinacoalition.org/blog.
For additional information, please contact The Coalition at (936) 634-9308.
