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  <body>&lt;p&gt;Retailers in Yakima County are selling too many tobacco products to minors, according to a survey released this morning. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Retailers attained a &amp;quot;dismal&amp;quot; 71 percent compliance rate this year compared to 87 percent last year, according to the American Lung Association. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Federal law requires all 50 states to conduct random tobacco law compliance checks each year. States must achieve at least 80 percent compliance or face the possibility of a reduction in federal funds. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As a result of Yakima County retailers' poor compliance, the Lung Association will conduct 180 educational site visits over the next year, starting this month. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A first-time offense results in a $100 fine for the owner and a $50 fine for the clerk who completed the sale. Repeat offenders are fined up to $1,000 and may face suspension of their license to sell cigarettes. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;</body>
  <brief>Retailers in Yakima County are selling too many tobacco products to minors, according to a survey released this morning. Retailers attained a "dismal" 71 percent compliance rate this year compared to 87 percent last year, according to the American Lung As</brief>
  <category>City Desk, LOCAL</category>
  <created-at type="datetime">2008-07-10T16:00:35Z</created-at>
  <creator></creator>
  <current-date type="datetime">2008-07-10T16:27:50Z</current-date>
  <delta type="boolean">false</delta>
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  <headline>Where there's smoke, there's ire -- Retailers selling too much tobacco to minors</headline>
  <id type="integer">5690</id>
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  <permalink>where-there-s-smoke-there-s-ire-retailers-selling-too-much-tobacco-to-minors</permalink>
  <priority>Web Story</priority>
  <project-ident></project-ident>
  <publication>Yakima Herald-Republic</publication>
  <publication-credit>Yakima Herald-Republic</publication-credit>
  <publication-page type="integer">0</publication-page>
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  <published-at type="datetime">2008-07-10T07:00:00Z</published-at>
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  <record-number type="integer">6268115</record-number>
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  <slug>$n$ Where there's smoke, there's ire -- Retailers selling too m</slug>
  <state>published</state>
  <status>Web Daily</status>
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  <subhead></subhead>
  <updated-at type="datetime">2009-03-20T02:27:07Z</updated-at>
  <version type="integer">1</version>
</story>
