Suffolk shops selling vape products to minors found out how seriously county officials take such offenses as their "Operation Smoke Out” netted 3,000 illegal devices and the arrest of four merchants. Of the 53 establishments recently checked by police, 30% were found to have broken the law in what officials said was the second-largest confiscation of vapes in county history.
"We are not going to let anyone turn a profit with a dangerous product over the health and safety of our young people," said county Executive Edward Romaine in announcing the police action at a press conference in Yaphank. He was joined by Suffolk Legislator James Mazzarella, who sponsored a bill last year outlawing vapes disguised as pens, highlighters, and other items marketed to young people to fool adults. Camouflaged items and flavored vapes, which are illegal statewide, were among the haul made by police during the smoke-out operation.
Acting Police Commissioner Robert Waring said investigations singled out operators in the Mastic-Shirley area and South Huntington in the most recent actions. Investigators sent in customers under the age of 21 who were readily sold the products. "We're looking at the operation as a deterrent to set an example of what will happen if you sell these products to children, especially those that are illegally prohibited," Waring said. He promised an update in a month or so as the stings continue, noting, "We hope to see more compliance as the message gets out that we take these offenses quite seriously," Waring said.
"Unfortunately, we found that sales to minors were going on with great rapidity," county Executive Romaine noted at the police headquarters press conference. "Vaping is not a viable alternative to smoking. Young people don't understand the risks, and we rely on businesses to ask for IDs to comply with the law." According to Romaine, the violators were charged with unlawfully dealing with a child in the second degree, a crime that carries a $1,000 fine for the first offense and $2,000 for the second, with penalties escalating further for additional charges.
Suffolk Health Department Commissioner Gregson Pigott pointed out that a single vape can contain more nicotine than an entire pack of cigarettes. "Once exposed, it's very hard to quit," he said. "Think about what this means to someone under 21 years old." The commissioner said the department's ongoing efforts to promote public health "have more teeth" when the police are involved. He expressed appreciation for the 7th Precinct and its commissioner, Donald Raber, where the recent takedowns took place. The county also conducts outreach at schools and interacts with parents to warn them of the dangers of vaping, particularly with nicotine, which can be a gateway to drugs and other addictions. They confirmed that the busts were initiated by tips from area residents.
"Operation Smoke Out is meant to be a deterrent," concluded Legislator Mazzarella, who was joined at the media event by Belinda Alvarez-Groneman, deputy police commissioner. "It is illegal to sell to people under the age of 21 or market products that are outlawed in our county. These are the laws, and we will enforce them." The authorities did not specify if the confiscated vapes also contained cannabis products, which are illegal to sell unless the shop has a special state license.
Swept up during Operation Smoke Out were:
• A 31-year-old Centereach resident employed at Royal Grocery and Deli on Montauk Highway in Shirley.
• A 22-year-old from Brooklyn employed at Evergreen Mart on Montauk Highway
in Mastic.
•A 21-year-old from Port Jefferson Station employed at Shirley Smoke and Cigars on William Floyd Parkway in Shirley.
• A 48-year-old from Medford employed at Ocean Gas on Montauk Highway in Shirley.