According to a report by Guam's media outlet, kuam, the Guam Behavioral Health and Welfare Center, along with the Revenue and Taxation Department, conducted random and unannounced compliance checks on retailers across the entire island. The results indicate that this year's compliance rate has decreased from 97% in the previous year to 94.8%.
According to an official report, it has been revealed that out of the 324 retail businesses registered with the income and taxation department, 13 have been found to be in violation of regulations regarding the sale of tobacco and electronic nicotine products to customers between the ages of 16 and 20.
The director of the Guam Behavioral Health and Wellness Center, Theresa Arriola, has revealed a concerning trend of increased e-cigarette usage among the island's youth.
She said, "What we need to do is ensure that retailers selling nicotine, whether it be tobacco or e-cigarettes, are aware that violating regulations could lead to heavy fines and license revocation. If word gets out that they may lose their license, it will be a major concern for them. Therefore, what needs to be done is that stores must carry out 100% identity verification, regardless of their appearance of age.
A range of fines, varying from $1,000 to $10,000, has been imposed on these violations. Officials have confirmed that a total of thirteen non-compliant shops have been penalized.
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