A new survey in the Sacramento region is helping minors identify what neighborhoods they’ll need to shoulder-tap in and what areas they can probably just buy cigarettes themselves.
24% percent of stores surveyed in Citrus Heights sold tobacco products to minors. Compare that to Rancho Cordova, where none of the stores tested in an under-cover sting sold tobacco to kids.
Shoulder-tapping is when a minor asks a passing adult to purchase something for them that they can’t. Commonly the adult will impose a surcharge for the service, like keeping the change or taking a few free smokes.
The survey was taken by the Department of Health and Human Services. They did not fine the stores they found to be selling to kids, but did pass the information along to local code enforcement officers.
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