Retailers in San Antonio, Texas are crying foul, claiming they are being made the scapegoats when the real criminals are the underaged smokers. The city council passed an ordinance set to go into effect January 1, 2019, which raises the age of selling tobacco products to customers that are 21 years of age and older.
But the trade groups representing convenience stores, gas stations and small grocers have a host of legal issues with this new rule, and filed a federal lawsuit claiming, among other things, that the ordinance unfairly targets them because, in an interesting twist, only the retailer would be cited, and forced to pay a $500 fine.
