Four Grand Forks businesses were cited for selling alcohol and tobacco to minors in the past week.
During routine tobacco and alcohol law compliance checks on two separate days, two businesses sold tobacco to an underage buyer, and two businesses served alcohol to an underage buyer.
Thursday, police officers using students from area high schools, checked to see whether area businesses were asking for identification of those attempting to buy tobacco. Students working with police give proper identification when asked for it. Officers checked 15 area businesses, two of which failed to check for proper identification.
The same scenario, where an underage buyer accompanies police, was used to check compliance with liquor establishments Saturday. Of the 24 businesses checked, two businesses failed to ask for identification from the underage buyer.
If the underage person is served, the server is cited, and the business owner is notified. Furnishing or delivering alcohol to a minor is a criminal offense, and a business charged with serving alcohol to minors is subject to sanctions by the licensing authority, according to police.
