Iowa City Police release results of tobacco sales law compliance checks

Hunter
06/30/21

Iowa City Police have released the results of an 8-day tobacco sales law compliance check of businesses licensed to sell tobacco.

54 businesses were checked by police between June 19^th and 27^th, sending underage persons to attempt to illegally purchase tobacco products. Of the 54 checked, 51 refused to sell tobacco or tobacco products to the underage buyers.

Three businesses failed the compliance checks. They were Liquor Downtown on South Gilbert Street, Hawkeye Smoke and Liquor on East College Street, and Up in Smoke on North Linn Street.

The employees who sold tobacco products to the underage buyers were each charged with a simple misdemeanor, punishable with a $135 fine for the first offense. The checks were part of the iPledge Program through Iowa’s Alcoholic Beverages Division.