Wichita will no longer criminally penalize people under 21 for possessing tobacco products, although police can still confiscate cigarettes, vapes and chewing tobacco seized from minors. The legal age for purchasing tobacco products will remain 21 under the revised ordinance approved by the City Council on Tuesday, but the biggest enforcement shift aims to hold tobacco retailers accountable for underage sales rather than penalizing individual employees. Under the previous ordinance, clerks found to have sold to minors were charged with a misdemeanor but tobacco license-holders and store managers were not punished. Wichita’s municipal court saw 25 cases of selling to minors in 2022. Now, license holders and store managers can be charged with a class B misdemeanor, punishable by a $200 minimum fine, if they are present when the illegal sale takes place. Clerks, on the other hand, will only be charged on a second or subsequent offense.
Source: Wichita Eagle
