Undercover teens smoke out tobacco-sales scofflaws

The Salem News Online ^ | Thursday, May 11, 2006 | Chris Cassidy

[gondramB]

>>I guess pretty soon, we'll be conducting Twinky stings with fat people as the operatives at taxpayer expense.<<

they are not far from than in England except its ice cream be sold "too close" to
a school.

[CSM]

"Why shouldn't they do checks because otherwise these lamebrained clerks and retailers will sell sell sell anything to anybody. It's all about making a buck."

Yeah, those evil businesses taking advantage of the little guy.

[humblegunner]

The two teens work undercover for the North Shore Tobacco Control Program, the regional agency that regularly conducts stings at gas stations, convenience stores and supermarkets to see whether they sell cigarettes to underage kids.

The little narcs will probably be getting a butt whupping by their peers.

[CSM]

"Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Reardon, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with." ('Atlas Shrugged' 1957)

[383rr]

"What is this world coming to?"

I wonder that on a daily basis. I was on another thread awhile ago, someone mentioned making ashtrays in school.
I made a couple of those, and built a .54 cal. Hawken rifle in shop class. (with Thompson parts)

Can you imagine doing that today? And ,heck I'm not that old. I started chewing snuff pretty young.But the secret police weren't prowling the streets then, either.

[Madame Dufarge]

Budding Hillary Clintons (and this includes the "boys.")

Agents of the State in training, what good little Hitler Youth they are.

[Madame Dufarge]

I bought my first pack of (purchased) cigarettes at the age of 9 from a vending machine for $0.25, and got a new penny inside the celphane wrapper for change.

They were $0.28 when I bought my first pack at the age of 11.

Four of us would chip in.

I could go on, but I died at the age of 30 from smoking. Just ask any smoking Nazi.

[TChris]

It's entrapment, and any conviction resulting from these nazi-like tactics should be struck down.

Sorry, dude, it's not.

[TChris]

The worst thing about these tobacco and alcohol stings using minors is that they usually target the lowest-paid employees, i.e. some college kid working at 7-11. The idea that minimum-wage employees now have to be agents of law enforcement seems ludicrous. By that I mean that the legislature passes a law saying kids under 18 can't have cigarettes, and then declare that it is up to the sellers to determine who is violating that law, and if they fail to enforce it, they are the ones who get busted.

That's just false. The clerks are not required to "be agents of law enforcement". If the state required the clerks to arrest any minor who tried to buy cigarettes, then you would be right. The state requires employees to obey the law, and that's just fine. Also, the penalty goes against the store, not the clerk. These establishments need to make it abundantly clear to their clerks that they are not to sell tobacco to minors. If they do things that cause the business to be fined, they should be fired for it.

[Mears]

RIP,Madame !! !

[freepatriot32]

I could go on, but I died at the age of 30 from smoking. Just ask any smoking Nazi

Lol you too? man with the number of people dieing from smoking and from second hand smoke there are going to be a buttload of ghost towns in america really soon.

[Madame Dufarge]

Lol you too?

I know, I attended your funeral.

And a moving one it was......

[Madame Dufarge]

Thank you Mears.

We all smoke on the other side.

[383rr]

I'll soon be joining you on the other side.

Save me an ahtray and a spitoon, will ya?

[elkfersupper]

Here's an idea.

Why not just legalize tobacco?

Not the ultimate solution to the nanny-state neoprohibitionist movement, but it's a good start.

[Fintan]

Do these kids have to pay for their uniforms with the $7 an hour they're making??

[jwh_Denver]

"From the looks of it, all three points of entrapment are satisfied in these cases."

That's what I thought, that's why I no judgement call on it. For the government to do this it looks to me as if they have to find a minor (not a gov employee) who has already bought cigarettes at a certain place for them to do this. Then they would have willingness to commit the crime.

[Madame Dufarge]

No problem, plenty to go around.

[elkfersupper]

I died at the age of 30 from smoking.

I look at it this way:

I was born at least a hundred years too late;

I'm 54 years old;

100 years ago, the average life expectancy was 45 years;

I've beat the odds. Let the good times roll!