HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - Memo dated September 28, 1999 from Police Chief to Assistant City Manager memo
Police Department
ring Peopk
Quality Programs
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TO: Sheila Lundt, City Manager's Office
FROM: Chief Ballantine
DATE: September 28, 1999
SUBJECT: Tobacco Compliance Checks
I have heard numerous comments lately about this Department's efforts in tobacco compliance checks.
We began conducting compliance checks in September 1998. Since that time, we have conducted 64
checks(attempts to purchase 56 times), incurring over 37 hours of police officer overtime and were able
to purchase cigarettes at 23 establishments. That is a 41% noncompliance rate, as compared to a 37%
state average. Seventeen citations were issued, with the remaining establishments given warnings.
Additionally, results of the checks are sent to Iowa Department of Public Health immediately, and "buy"
reports are faxed directly to the FDA. Under the FDA plan, civil penalties are suppose to be issued by
the FDA against establishments that allow the purchase. Those penalties are: lst violation- Notice of
violation, 2nd violation - $250, 3rd violation - $1,500, 4th violation - $5,000, and 5th violation-
$10,000.
We are presently in the process of the second round of compliance checks. One issue that has been
raised is whether we are issuing enough citations. Clearly, we could have issued citations in all 23
cases, where tobacco was purchased and we are reevaluating that situation. The real deterrent, however I
believe, is in the timely imposition of civil penalties by the FDA and those are suppose to occur on each
purchase regardless of whether or not, local authorities have issued a criminal citation.
cc:, teve Schainker
Bob Kindred
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in order to improve the lives of Bradley discussed his plans to BRADLEY/to papa 14 after his sl
Minors '
cigarettes des
cost YSS
s
$250, 000 .
by Shannon Hill
Special to the Daily
Too many minors buy cigarettes
in Iowa, and as a consequence,
organizations designed to help
rehabilitate young people with
addictions may have less money to
do it.
The U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services is enforcing a
retailer-compliance goal, which
punishes states whose stores allow
25 percent of minors to purchase Lib art powei
cigarettes illegally, said State Sen. 1
Johnie Hammond.
$5 million in federal funding
will ” e withheld from Iowa this ry ��
yes,, because Iowa's non-compli-
ance rate is 36 percent. Y_ SS
faces 40 ercent `J"We're just not doing well,and I
think a lot of people are not taking • located it
teen tobacco use as seriously as butin federal funding - was
they should;" Hammond said. blew.
Because of the state's high rate, _ em in th
Youth and Shelter Services, 420 because we're the first caucus
KelloggAve., faces a 40 percent atom page 1/YSS er off," th
p state," she said. "In the meantime, ;r and th
cut in funding. With that 40 percent," he said. I'm fairly confident that the gover- o make it
As a nonprofit organization, ;About 160 of them will not be able nor [Tom Vilsack] will find a way
YSS receives almost half of its to access treatment at all" to restore that through a supple- l
funding from the U.S. government, . Hammond said the penalty is in mental appropriation or an appro- Idle IN
said Bob Kersieck, head of Chemi- fesponse to last year's failure to priation of some kind." 'ere Si'
cal Dependency Services at YSS. pomply, and the state will face the YSS is doing its best to cover for re."
That money is distributed by the same consequence next year the loss on a local level. Belitsos
state in block grants through the because the current year's compli- said two Ames City Council mem- --Wayn
Iowa Department of Public Health mice rate already is poor. bers attended a public forum on the of acce
and the Department of Human Ser- '1. "Another $5 million out of next issue and promised to put it on the Paj
vices. ear really would be devastating," council's agenda in the near future.
George Belitsos, executive tantmond said. "This is a time we YSS also will to turn to Ames the affec
director of YSS, said the cut will �rCally need to be working hard to residents and Iowa State students power f
result in a loss of$250,000 for sub- t part N
stance abuse programs in Ames and .4Fhieve compliance" for additional money.
The state has filed an appeal to "The city could start enforcing rsen, ac
Story County. reverse the funding cut, but Ham- the laws for the retailers selling to nary,
Kersieck said many kids will not ;Mond said there is no way to pre- the minors,but they haven't,"Belit- be in
have the opportunity now to benefit dirt whether that will be success- sos said. "We need to address this thing
from rehabilitation programs at ful, issue or we will continue to lose arty Sat
YSS. "You think it would be, simply our funding."
"We served about 400 students ance st
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