Amy Brackenbury, executive director of the Washington Association of Neighborhood Stores, has heard it before. But she notes that the state Liquor Control Board boasts that 95 percent of the state's 8,500 tobacco outlets comply with the law banning the sale of tobacco to minors, which means the stores must be doing something right. It's frustrating to hear people slam convenience stores all the time. The harmless-looking bill at the center of all the attention, House Bill 1746, hardly warranted notice when it came up for a vote during a marathon floor session in the House on a recent Friday night. But as is often the case when tobacco legislation is being considered, the measure was the subject of a big fight behind the scenes that's not over yet.
Current law prohibits minors from buying tobacco, but it's silent on possession.
The original version of the bill was bigger. The store association backed a provision that would provide immunity from prosecution to retailers who post signs informing customers that sales to minors are prohibited and train clerks on how to avoid such sales. And the bill's sponsor, Republican Rep. Mike Sherstad of Kenmore, had included language that would stop county health departments from conducting sting operations in which underage teens attempt to buy tobacco products. County health departments currently conduct hundreds of compliance checks each year. Sherstad's bill also would have reduced state involvement in funding teen anti-smoking programs across Washington.