Location: Multiple locations in the Visalia, Exeter & Farmersville area

Incident Date: April

Case Number: 19-04734 19-05010 19-05103 19-05159

Victim: State of California

Posted by: Dispatch

In the month of April 2019, Deputies with the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office conducted (120) Tobacco compliance inspections in the Visalia, Farmersville and Exeter areas.

At the conclusion of the inspections, (102) businesses were found to be in compliance and (6) businesses were found to have an expired license which is a violation of The Stop Tobacco Access to Kids Act.  Businesses out of compliance were given verbal warnings and educated on the STAKE Act and the current tobacco laws. Failure to comply with the current laws may include a fine as low as $200 and as high as $5,000. Retailers can also have their tobacco license suspended or permanently revoked.

Tulare County Sheriff’s Office Deputies will continue to conduct tobacco compliance checks to reduce the availability of tobacco to minors.

Tulare County Sheriff Office in collaboration with the Department of Justice are conducting retailer tobacco compliance checks to educate retailers and reduce the availability of tobacco products to minors throughout rural communities and cities in Tulare County. Statistics have shown that youth tobacco use in Tulare County is above average at 15.4% when compared to California’s 13.8%.

This project is being made possible by the Department of Justice Tobacco Grant, funded by the California Healthcare, Research and Prevention Tobacco Tax Act of 2016 (the “Act”), approved by the voters as Proposition 56.

These cases are currently under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office at (559)733-6218 or send anonymous information by sending a text or email to TCSO@tipnow.com or call 1-800-TIPNOW.