Lauderdale County Sheriff comments on recent Mississippi smoke shop raids

MERIDIAN, Miss. (WTOK) - Law enforcement around Mississippi have been cracking down on vape shops.

The most recent of which, a multi-tiered raid in Forest, Mississippi.

These raids are happening in collaboration with federal agencies, and are taking place all over the United States, as shops continue to sell to underage customers.

Lauderdale County Sheriff Ward Calhoun says that while law enforcement can do a lot to stop the illegal sale of vapes at shops, it still falls on parents and guardians to help children make the right choice.

“We hear about it from our SROs in our schools, talking with school administrators, it’s still an issue out there. We really need the help of parents and responsible adults to be looking for that activity and the young people in their lives and directing them toward making better choices for their health in the future,” said Calhoun.

“This has been an ongoing issue too. When I started out, it was the underage sale of cigarettes and alcohol, and that still goes on to some degree, but more and more individuals and young people are vaping, as opposed to smoking. There are laws that go along with that, and these businesses need to understand that they have to adhere to the law, they cannot sell to individuals that aren’t eligible to purchase.”

Approximately 40 e-cigarette products are authorized by the FDA. A list of those products is available on the FDA’s website.