CENTRALIA — The Centralia Police Department, with the help from a grant awarded by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission’s “Kids Can’t Buy ‘Em Here” Tobacco Enforcement Program conducted Phase 2 of their 2016/2017 Tobacco Sales enforcement effort on Saturday.

The second round of tobacco compliance checks were conducted to determine if local tobacco retailers are complying with State minimum age tobacco laws that prohibit the sale of tobacco to minors.

The City of Centralia has been educating tobacco retailers on minimum-age tobacco laws and the importance of verifying the age of their customers while conducting compliance checks of area tobacco retailers.

This latest round of the grant compliance checks found all of the 23 tobacco retail businesses in Centralia being in compliance with the law.

Lt. Greg Dodson congratulated the retail managers and clerks of the businesses who denied the sale to the minors.

The Importance of keeping tobacco out of the hands of our youth is extremely important.  90-percent of current adult smokers stated their addiction to tobacco started before they were legally able to purchase the product.

Studies have also identified tobacco as a gateway drug for youth leading to more Illicit drug use.