Longmont smoke shop fined for sales violations

LONGMONT — A Longmont business has agreed to pay a $20,000 fine and change its operating procedures after being cited for seven instances of selling tobacco to minors.

The Colorado Department of Revenue’s Liquor Enforcement Division reached the agreement with Public Smoke Shop Inc. of Longmont. The tobacco retailer agreed to the fine and to improve its business operating practices. As part of multiple underage compliance checks at the Public Smoke Shop’s Longmont retail store at 341 Main St., Liquor Enforcement Division investigators found that, within a 24-month period, the retailer continued to sell cigarettes and nicotine products to minors, even after the retailer received violation notices and paid fines on its second, third and fourth violations.

“This is an outstanding example of how the Liquor Enforcement Division works to protect public safety by keeping nicotine products out of the hands of those under the age of 18 through strict enforcement of the law,” Patrick Maroney, director of the Liquor Enforcement Division, said in a press release. The liquor division also regulates the sale of tobacco and nicotine products. “The goal of the agreement reached with Public Smoke Shop is to ensure the retailer puts in place prevention measures and improves its standard operating procedures to prohibit any future violations.”

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The business agreed to the fine in lieu of conducting a hearing to determine the merits of the multiple violation allegations found by investigators, the division said.

The prevention measures agreed to by both parties include training of employees, completing a responsible vendor training program, implementing ID scanners used for every sale, moving its point of sale register near the front entrance and enforcing disciplinary action against those employees involved with the sale to minors.

The agreement releases the company from further fines or actions on the seven infraction allegations.