CENTRALIA — The Centralia Police Department is reporting a more than 90-percent of Centralia retailers are complying with the state minimum-age tobacco laws, with only two clerks being cited in Phase 3 of the CPD 2016/2017 Tobacco Sales enforcement effort.

According to Lt. Greg Dodson, Beau M. Shanks, an employee of The Caddy shack on North Poplar Street, and Kimberly R. Eckhoff, an employee of Family Dollar on North Elm Street were the only two retail establishments that sold to the youth buyer.

CPD, with the help of a grant awarded by the Illinois Liquor Control Commission’s “Kids Can’t Buy ‘Em Here” Tobacco Enforcement Program conduct compliance checks 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 resulted in 19 of the 21 licensed retail businesses in Centralia being in compliance with the law, resulting in a 90.5 percent compliance rate.

Dodson says keeping tobacco out of the hands of our youth is extremely important, as 90-percent of current adult smokers say 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.