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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.

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.