MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee mom confronted the man who, she says, sold vaping devices to her underage son. Reason Hill wants businesses that sell to minors to be held accountable.
"I found out that this gas station was selling my son tobacco products, selling him vapes — he's only 14," explained Hill, a concerned mother who has worked as a nurse and says she knows the dangers of vaping.
"I've seen what it does to kids," she said. "I've seen them have tubes in and out their body, on breathing machines."
Watch: Milwaukee mom confronts an employee who sold vapes to her 14-year-old son
It’s why she didn’t hesitate to confront an employee of the Lover’s Lane Petro Mart who, she believed, sold vapes to her underage son.
She used her cellphone to record the confrontation and shared the video with Milwaukee police. Police confirmed to TMJ4 that they investigated and issued the employee a citation with a $691 fine.
MPD also filed a report ensuring the underage sale violation will be considered when the business is due for a tobacco license renewal.
Hill says it’s not enough. “Honestly, I feel like their tobacco license should be taken. My son is not the only one they’re selling vapes to, and there are a lot of kids in this area.”
Last year, the city of Milwaukee adopted an ordinance to limit where new vape and smoke sellers can open, blocking them within 1,000 feet of a school.
The village of Greendale has similar zoning restrictions and an ordinance that goes a step further—businesses can have their license revoked if they’re repeatedly caught selling vaping products to minors.
“We pride ourselves on being a very pro-business community, but we also want there to be basic regulations being followed,” explained Mike Hawes, Greendale village manager.
He says in the past 13 months, one particular shop, Smoke On, has been issued five citations for selling to minors. Last week, it led to the business surrendering its license to sell electronic vaping devices. “These are pretty basic standards that are in place for them to follow, and the other businesses have been able to follow it,” Hawes added.
When TMJ4’s Andrea Albers stopped at Smoke On, she was told the business had been sold, and the new owners didn’t want to speak to TMJ4.
The shop is about 600 feet from Martin Luther High School. Because it existed before Greendale’s zoning ordinance, it was grandfathered in. The village anticipates the new owner will apply for a new vape license but says it is no longer protected.
“We have advised them that according to our ordinance, we will not issue a new vape license to a business located within 1,000 feet of a school,” reiterated Hawes.
Hill applauds the repercussions in Greendale and wants Milwaukee to take note. In the meantime, she has a message she wants parents to hear: “We’re all our kids have. You know? At the end of the day—be responsible, get on stuff like this. This shouldn’t be happening, and put a stop to it. That’s it.”
Hill also reached out to Milwaukee Alderman Lamont Westmoreland, and he responded to her call for accountability. “I have a ZERO tolerance policy when it comes to selling any tobacco or vaping products to minors, and if I could ban all sales of those products in Milwaukee, I would do so tomorrow. In my view, these products are poison and are a menace to the health and wellness of our community,” Alderman Lamont Westmoreland said in a statement, noting that tobacco/vaping licenses are applied for at the city but are ultimately approved by the State of Wisconsin.
“I have worked closely with the Milwaukee Health Department, the Milwaukee Police Department, and the State of Wisconsin to address this issue and hold people accountable, and I will continue to do so. We must make it MUCH harder for a tobacco and vaping license holder to stay in business if they are caught selling to minors, and I will push for changes that give more control to local officials so we can better prevent outlets that are looking to sell this poison to our kids.”
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