OUT
OUT THERE. >> IT'S JUST SCARY AND
DISGUSTING.
DISGUSTING. >>> ONLY ON 12 NEWS, AN iTEAM
INVESTIGATION, EXPOSING
INVESTIGATION, EXPOSING BUSINESS OWNERS WHO SELL VAPE
AND TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO TEENS.
>> I JUST ASK FOR E-CIGARETTES
AND HE SUGGESTED THESE.
>> THEY DON'T ASK FOR ANYTHING.
NO ID, NO AGE.
>> THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE
GATE KEEPERS.
GATE KEEPERS. AT THE VERY LEAST, FOLLOWING
THE LAW.
THE LAW.
THE LAW. CAUGHT ON CAMERA, SELLING
UNDERAGE TEENS VAPE AND TOBACCO
PRODUCTS.
PRODUCTS.
PRODUCTS. JOE DANA WENT OVERCOVER WITH
STATE INVESTIGATORS.
STATE INVESTIGATORS. >> Reporter: HERE'S THE
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. TEACHERS AND POLICE ARE HAVING
A HARD TIME TRYING TO KEEP VAPE
PRODUCTS OUT OF THE HANDS OF
TEENS.
TEENS.
TEENS. INSTEAD OF HELPING THEM IN THE
FIGHT, THESE STORE OWNERS ARE
MAKING IT WORSE.
>> AGENT?
>> AGENT?
>> AGENT? HOW ARE YOU?
I'M JOE.
I'M JOE.
I'M JOE. >> Reporter: AN UNDERCOVER
STING.
STING.
STING. THE ARIZONA ATTORNEY GENERAL
DEPLOYING FULL TIME
INVESTIGATORS ALONGSIDE
INVESTIGATORS ALONGSIDE UNDERCOVER TEENS.
UNDERCOVER TEENS. A 16-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND 15-YEAR-
OLD BOY EQUIPPED WITH CASH AND
A STATE ID ARE THE BUYERS.
>> LOOKS LIKE YOU GOT SOMETHING
THERE IN YOUR HAND.
DO YOU WANT TO BE AN UNDERCOVER
AGENT WHEN YOU'RE OLDER?
>> I ALWAYS WANT TO BE PART OF
THE S.W.A.T.
THE S.W.A.T. TASK FORCE.
TASK FORCE. >> WE'LL FOLLOW YOU, AND THEN
WE'LL REGROUP.
WE'LL REGROUP. >> Reporter: THE OPERATIONS IN
WEST PHOENIX AND TEMPE.
20 STORES IN ALL.
THE KIDS GO IN AND OUT, PUTTING
STORE CLERKS TO THE TEST.
THIS GLENDALE HOOKAH LOUNGE
OWNER WOULD NOT TAKE THE BAIT.
>> SORRY, MAN.
>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WE
HAVE PEOPLE LIKE YOU, WHO WANT
TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> Reporter: SIX OF THE 20
STORE CLERKS DID SELL TO THE
TEENS.
TEENS.
TEENS. AT
TEENS. AT TEMPE'S UP IN SMOKE, THIS
STORE ALREADY HAS FIVE
VIOLATIONS, AND THIS TIME.
>> HE DID ASK FOR MY ID.
HE LOOKED AT IT.
>> Reporter: THE CLERK NOT ONLY
SELLS TO THE UNDERCOVER TEEN,
BUT RECOMMENDED THIS.
THE CONCENTRATION OF NICOTINE
IN THIS ONE CARTRIDGE IS SO
HIGH, IT'S EQUAL TO ABOUT 75
CIGARETTES.
CIGARETTES. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR SOMEONE
TO SMOKE WHAT'S IN HERE WITHIN
A DAY OR TWO.
WHEN WE TRIED TO GET ANSWERS.
>> CAN WE ASK YOU WHY YOU
RECOMMENDED THIS TO A 16-YEAR-
OLD?
OLD?
OLD? >>
OLD? >> NO COMMENT.
>> Reporter: AT SMOKER'S HEAVEN
IN PHOENIX, THE UNDERCOVER TEEN
BOUGHT $50 WORTH OF VAPE
PRODUCTS.
PRODUCTS.
PRODUCTS. >> HE SAW ME PULL OUT MY ID.
HE DIDN'T EVEN ASK.
>> THIS IS THE SECOND VIOLATION
FOR SMOKER'S HEAVEN IN THE PAST
YEAR.
YEAR.
YEAR. COULD YOU TELL US WHY YOU SOLD
VAPE PRODUCTS TO A MINOR?
>> WE DON'T DO IT.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IT
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED.
HAPPENED. >> THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S
OFFICE TELLS US THIS HAPPENED
IN THE LAST YEAR.
>> TO ME, IT'S THE FIRST TIME
IT HAPPENED.
IT HAPPENED. >> Reporter: IF YOU HAVE A
SCHOOL RIGHT OVER THERE, IT
WOULD SEEM YOU WOULD BE MUCH
MORE CAREFUL.
MORE CAREFUL. >> BUT I WAS BUSY, AND I JUST
HAD MY SHOT TODAY, SO PROBABLY
I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO HIM.
>> Reporter: STORES FINES THAT
GET CAUGHT, AROUND $300.
BUT IS IT ALL ENOUGH?
ATTORNEY GENERAL MARK BURNOVICH
WORRIES TOBACCO STORES VIEW THE
FINES AS THE COST OF DOING
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. >> IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER
YOU'RE A FIRST TIME OFFENDER,
OR IF THIS IS YOUR TENTH FINE,
THIS IS THE SAME FINE.
>> Reporter: FOR LARGER
RETAILERS LIKE FOOD CITY, WHICH
WAS ALSO BUSTED, THIS IS HARDLY
A HIT.
A HIT.
A HIT. BASH'S FAMILY OF STORES TAKES
THE SALE OF TOBACCO EXTREMELY
SERIOUSLY.
SERIOUSLY. IN THE PARTICULAR INCIDENT, THE
INDIVIDUAL INVOLVED WAS
RELATIVELY NEW TO OUR TEAM.
AND HAS RECEIVED THE TRAINING,
THAT MEMBER WAS DISCIPLINED.
>> THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING.
ANYTHING. >> Reporter: THE ATTORNEY
GENERAL WANTS LAWMAKERS TO
STIFFEN PENALTIES FOR STORES
THAT REPEATEDLY VIOLATE THE
LAW.
LAW.
LAW. >>
LAW. >> IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING
ABOUT THIS NOW, AND WE'RE NOT
AGGRESSIVE ABOUT IT, WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE A WHOLE
GENERATION THAT'S GOING TO BE
ADDICTED TO NICOTINE, AND
TOBACCO PRODUCTS.
TOBACCO PRODUCTS. >> Reporter: THIS IS A
STATEWIDE PROBE.
STATEWIDE PROBE. PROBLEM.
PROBLEM.
PROBLEM. 959 ARIZONA BUSINESSES WERE
REPEAT OFFENDERS, CAUGHT MORE
THAN ONCE.