SARASOTA COUNTY – The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office cites eight stores on the Suncoast for selling vaping products to minors.
The sheriff’s office conducted undercover operations sending personnel into 29 vape and tobacco shops in Sarasota County. Lieutenant Brian Gregory says the sheriff’s office received a tip from a parent that their underage child bought a vaping product from one of the eight shops.
“The reason why we do these things is for the community and for children,” said Lieutenant Gregory. “These products we don’t know the long term effects of vaping at this point, and so the reason for the operation is to help prevent that actually happening.”
Lieutenant Gregory says the eight shops were given a second degree misdemeanor citation, and says other shops should follow the law as you never know when the sheriff’s office will show up at your shop.
The shops that were cited were:
DNA Vaping Lounge Sarasota, 5045 Fruitville Road, unit 165, Sarasota
Smoking Friendly/Tobacco Depot #732, 4461 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota
Fantasy Vape and Smoke Shop, 2868 Ringling Boulevard, Sarasota
Ignite Vapors, 3251 17th Street, Unit 170, Sarasota
Cheap Smokes, 1839 South Tamiami Trail, Venice
Skybubz Smoke Shop Inc., 3135 North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Gateway Vape, 6534 Gateway Avenue, Sarasota
Ryo Tasteful Tobacco, 5761 Beneva Road, Sarasota
