The Picayune Police Department’s Special Operations Division recently executed an operation aimed at curbing the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors within the city limits. Over the past few weeks, the division attempted to purchase tobacco items from fifteen local businesses using an individual under 21 years old.

Results from the operation revealed that five establishments violated regulations by selling tobacco products to the underage individual. Citations were promptly issued to the responsible cashiers in each instance.

The objective of these operations, according to the Picayune Police Department, is to uphold public safety standards and prevent the unauthorized distribution of alcohol, vape, and tobacco products to minors. The recent initiative demonstrated progress, as only five citations were issued, marking an improvement from the eleven citations issued in the prior operation.