Columbia board of health discuss tobacco licensing rules

The Columbia Board of Health discussed new rules that could affect stores that sell tobacco products.

The Columbia City Council is set to consider the rules next Monday that would require stores get licenses to sell tobacco products, and would increase the fine for stores caught breaking the new rules. A store would be fined a minimum of $200 and a max of $1,000 for doing so.

The Board of Health has previously called on the council to adopt such rules. Dr. Michael Szewczyk wrote that the licensing and compliance checks would help Columbia catch up in curbing teen smoking.

James Greer, an executive at MFA Oil, told the city council last Monday that the rules crafted by the city could be costly for businesses. He said the expense of firing, re-hiring and re-training employees already caught selling tobacco products to minors or other violations is costly enough for stores.