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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Nine Iowa City businesses fail tobacco compliance checks
Gazette staff
Dec. 17, 2017 6:07 pm
IOWA CITY - Nine Iowa City businesses failed a tobacco law compliance check earlier this month by selling tobacco or other nicotine or vapor products to underage buyers.
Iowa City police conducted the compliance checks between Dec. 9 and Dec. 16 at 57 licensed businesses, according to a news release. Underage people, working with plainclothes officers, entered the businesses and attempted to purchase products illegally.
The following businesses failed the compliance check by selling to the underage buyers:
On the Go Convenience Store, 2315 Muscatine Ave.
Casey's, 1904 Broadway St.
Creekside Market, 2601 Highway 6 East
Kirkwood Liquor & Tobacco, 300 Kirkwood Ave.
Casey's, 204 N. Dubuque St.
Nile Hookah, 220 S. Van Buren St.
The Convenience Store, 106 S. Linn St.
Deli Mart, 2410 Mormon Trek Blvd.
Deli Mart, 525 Highway 1 West
A total of 48 businesses refused to sell to the underage buyers, police said.
The workers who sold tobacco to the underage buyers were each charged with Employee Selling Tobacco To Persons Under Age 18, a simple misdemeanor punishable by a $1000 fine upon conviction. The violations may also result in civil penalties against the tobacco licenses, police said.