After receiving concerns from multiple agencies and parents, Battle Creek Police conducted a sting on four vape shops today, resulting in charges against two people for selling vape items to someone posing as a minor.
In Michigan, you must be 21 to purchase tobacco products, including regular and e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes, or vapes, are electronic products that heat a liquid into a vapor. They contain harmful chemicals that can cause lung damage, and local officials match federal concern for an epidemic of vape use among teenagers.
School resource officers in the Battle Creek area, along with the Substance Abuse Council, have worried about the number of students using vape products. Police also have received tips and complaints around local shops selling to minors, all resulting in today’s joint effort.
Two shops sold products to police officers posing as minors:
- Froggy’s – Capital Avenue NE
- Sam’s Discount and Party Store – Carl Avenue and Dickman Road
Police submitted charges on the two people who sold the items. One of those also was arrested on six outstanding warrants. Police will not release the names at this time.
More information, and resources for how to quit smoking and vaping, are available at https://www.drugfreebc.org/. Call the Substance Abuse Council at 269-326-4040.