From February to May 2016, Cpl. James Stone, Alcohol Enforcement Coordinator for St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office, conducted “Tobacco Compliance Checks” on 103 licensed tobacco retailers throughout St. Mary’s County and of the businesses checked, 48 sold products illegally to underage buyers.
The items purchased ranged from cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars, to refills for e-cigarettes (vaping oils). The penalty for selling tobacco products to a person under the age of 18 is a $300.00 civil citation. Penalties, including fines and suspension of the retail license, can also be imposed on the licensee of tobacco establishments.
Cpl. Stone states, “The reality is that underage teens are going to try to access these products if they can. It's up to the retailers to train their employees to check ID's correctly and refuse the sale of these products to underage youth.”
Starting in October, additional compliance checks will begin. If you are a retailer and would like more information, need signage for your store, or have questions, contact Rebecca Jackson at the St. Mary’s County Health Department at 301-475-4391. For questions regarding tobacco enforcement, please contact Cpl. James Stone at 301-997-8531 or by email at James.Stone@stmarysmd.com.
Non-compliant locations:
* indicates the business was found to be in violation twice.
- 7 Eleven Store — Mechanicsville
- 7 Eleven Store — Charlotte Hall
- A & W — Callaway
- ABC Gas Station — Clements
- Abell’s Tavern — Callaway
- Beacon Liquor Store — Callaway
- Boatman’s Mini Mart — Mechanicsville
- Burchmart — Charlotte Hall
- Burchmart — Leonardtown
- Canopy Liquors — Lexington Park
- Chief’s Bar —Tall Timbers
- Corner Liquors — Lexington Park
- County Liquors — Great Mills
- Dash In — Charlotte Hall
- Dash In — Leonardtown*
- DJ’s One Stop — Mechanicsville
- Exxon — Charlotte Hall * Sold twice
- Family Dollar — Leonardtown
- Family Dollar Store— Charlotte Hall
- Family Dollar — Lexington Park
- Food Lion — Leonardtown
- Food Lion — California
- Food Lion — Great Mills
- Fred’s Liquor — Charlotte Hall
- Giant Food — California
- International Beverage — Lexington Park
- Jug Head Liquors — California
- Korner Karry Out — Mechanicsville
- Oceanic — Mechanicsville
- OCI Pub/Pizza King — Piney Point
- Optimal Vapor — Leonardtown
- Quik Stop — Great Mills
- Rite Aid Store — Charlotte Hall
- Rite Aid — Lexington Park
- Russell’s Store — Valley Lee
- Sheetz — Lexington Park
- Shell — Charlotte Hall
- Sign of the Whale — Lexington Park
- Stop & Shop — Lexington Park
- Terry’s Tobacco — Mechanicsville
- The Beer Cave/Bob’s Sunoco — Callaway
- The Corner Store (Callaway Shell) — Callaway
- Third Base — Loveville
- Wawa #583 — Mechanicsville*
- Wawa — Charlotte Hall