Court staged a tobacco raid Saturday morning, with five of 15 retail stores allegedly selling tobacco to underage youth.

Law enforcement officers began raids on county retail stores at 9 a.m. Saturday and finished about 2:30 p.m., said youth court Programs Director Mary Jane Gaudet.

Arlene’s One Stop, Tom’s Pick-n-Pay, Cottage Grocery, Christie’s Chevron and Sibley Grocery sold tobacco to 17-year-old volunteers for the Adams County Youth Court, Gaudet said.

The Mississippi Juvenile Tobacco Access Prevention Act of 1997 prohibits the sale or distribution of all tobacco products to any persons under the age of 18.

On a first conviction of selling tobacco to a minor, the seller will be fined $50. A second conviction will bring a fine of $75. The third conviction is a fine of $150.

The retailers receive a warning on the first offense in their store. A second conviction in the store means the retailer will have to enroll in a tobacco education program.

Third and subsequent convictions in the store means a retailer’s permit to sell tobacco products may be revoked or suspended after one year after the retailer is given notice and had an opportunity for a hearing.

If a retail tobacco permit is revoked, the retailer must wait at least 6 months for reapplying for a permit.

&uot;Undercover officers stopped at 15 establishments and five sold tobacco to underaged youth on Saturday morning — which I&160;found alarming,&uot; she said.

In the second year of tobacco prevention program, Gaudet said local retailers have had ample opportunity to be educated on the tobacco law prohibiting sale of tobacco to people under 18 years of age. Last spring, a similar raid yielded no underage tobacco sales out of 10 retailers visited.

Volunteers for the youth court assisted law enforcement by posing as purchasers of tobacco.

&uot;At no time do they lie or deceive people,&uot; Gaudet said. &uot;They just go in and say they want to buy tobacco.&uot;

The volunteers also checked for notices in store windows or at cash registers. The raids are vital because smoking statistics are staggering, Gaudet said. According to state Attorney General Mike Moore, 60 Mississippi youth under age of 18 start using tobacco each day. Twenty of those 60 will die from a smoking related illness.

&uot;Each year, tobacco kills more than AIDS, alcohol, drug abuse, car crashes, murders, suicides and fires combined,&uot; Gaudet said.

Education on the danger of tobacco will continue, Gaudet said.

&uot;We will have more education. We’re having monthly activities to educate younger youth to create a SWAT team — which stands for students working against tobacco,&uot; she said. &uot;Kids will listen to kids more than adults.&uot;