The Township of North Bergen will soon require tobacco retailers to obtain a local license from the health department next year in an effort to prevent the sale to minors.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“We are working with the state of New Jersey, our local health department and law enforcement to make sure that tobacco stays out of the hands of our young people,” Mayor Nick Sacco said in a statement.
“Thanks to our local T.A.S.E. [Tobacco Age of Sale Enforcement] program and the North Bergen Prevention Coalition, we have been able to collect meaningful data that corroborates what towns across the nation already know, our laws are not being enforced effectively. With the passing of this ordinance, our hope is that we are able to deter our young consumers from buying these substances by strengthening the laws that govern the spaces that sell to minors.”
As municipalities across the state seek to fill in the gaps where the state is not able to act, TASE programs are meeting the need to more effectively enforce tobacco regulations among those that are under the age of 21.
In the case of North Bergen, their local TASE was able to prove that local merchants were selling tobacco products “to minors at alarming rates,” officials said today.
As a result, every retailer that sells tobacco in the township of North Bergen must apply for a new license with the town every year. That means that retailers must be licensed by both the state and the town in order to legally sell tobacco.
“By tightening our control surrounding tobacco sales, our hope is that we send a message to retailers that here in North Bergen we don’t condone the sale of tobacco to minors,” added Health Officer and Business Administrator Janet Castro.
