The Public Health of Seattle and King County played a tricky conspiracy against the tobacco sellers in Vashon and found three shopkeepers selling tobacco to underage teens. The revelation was a turnaround on the reputation of the three shopkeepers, who were given a clean chit in 2005 and 2009 inspections.

The authorities have continued with their plan of trapping the unlawful traders in the region. The officials have involved some teens aged between 15 and 17 ½, who were instructed to go to the tobacco sellers and demand for cigarettes, accepting that they had not attained the legal age of smoking.

On selling cigarettes to minors, the tobacco sellers were liable to pay a fine of atleast $100 for the first time, and if the seller commits the offence again, they would be either charged with a fine of $1,500 or their license to sell tobacco was cancelled.

As per Dr. David Fleming, Director of Public Health of Seattle and King County,” Progress over the past decade in reducing the impact of tobacco addiction has been undermined by drastic cuts to tobacco-prevention-program funding, as well as by the tobacco industry”. Moreover, the department needs to keep a check because 90% smokers admit that they were addicted to smoking before they attained the age of 19.