AMHERST — Two package stores face fines and suspensions of their right to sell tobacco products after minors allegedly purchased tobacco at both businesses this spring.
The Board of Health will hold hearings on the alleged violations during its meeting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Bangs Community Center.
In both cases, April 23 at Big Guys Liquors, 25 Montague Road, and May 17 at R&P Liquors and Fine Wines, 505 West St., people under the age of 18, working for the tobacco compliance officer of the Substance and Tobacco Prevention Partnership of Franklin and Hampshire County, were able to buy tobacco, said Health Director Julie Federman.
While the town prohibits anyone under 21 from purchasing tobacco, Federman said the sales at the stores were made to people much younger.
The hearing for Big Guys Liquors begins at 5:05 p.m. Big Guys has been issued a $300 ticket and 30-day suspension, Federman said, because this marks the third offense in the past 36 months. Previous violations occurred in April 2015 when it sold tobacco to a minor, and June 2015, when the store had blunt wrappers for sale, a product used to wrap tobacco and marijuana that has been prohibited in Amherst since 2013.
The hearing for R&P Liquors, which faces a $200 ticket and seven-day license suspension, will be held at 6 p.m. Within the past 36 months, R&P had one other violation, June 25, 2015, when it was issued a $100 ticket for selling to a minor.
The compliance officer will be present to explain what happened at both locations.
Efforts to reach the owners of both businesses Wednesday night were unsuccessful, though an employee at R&P said its owner was aware of the health board hearing.
Federman said the health board has discretion to reduce fines or suspensions, but typically has not.
“They want to work with businesses, but on the other hand they don’t want businesses to sell to minors,” Federman said.
Besides enforcement, in which the rules for compliance checks are dictated by the state, the tobacco partnership does extensive education and outreach to those selling tobacco.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
