— erie Peter Kryzanowski, an employee at the Misty River, won't sell The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, June 24, 1998 - A3 people under 19 years of age went up this month. The increase Is cigarettes fo minors. Fines to stores who sell tobacco to young _ the latest in a line of government anti-smoking initiatives. Fines for stores increase Smoke sellers getting stung By ALEX HAMILTON UNDERAGE SMOKERS smokers in Terrace have a bard time buying cigarettes because of Russ Sellenrich and his sting operations. Once a month, Scltentich, the environmental health officer for the Northwest Community Health Services Society, takes tecnage employ- ees from Kitimat and bring them to Terrace lo see whether or not unsuspecting smoke shops will sell them cigarettes. In B.C, the minimum age to buy cigarettes is 19. Across the rest of Canada, the minimum age is 18. The first time a store is caught selling to a minor, shop owners are given a warming. If Seltenrich catches them again, however, the penalties are stiff. “The reason we do them [fest purchases] is so there is a realistic scenario presented to the retailer,’’ Seltenrich said. Amendments to the Tobacco Sales Act June 2, have increased maximum fine and suspension levels for stores. The first time a store is caught selling to minors, it is fined $2,500. For two or more con- victions, fines go up to $5,000. After two convictions a store’s tobacco licence will be suspended for six months. After thrce convictions, the suspension will last a year. ‘@MedicAlert | SPEAKS FOR. - 1+-BOO-668- www. medicalert.ca.._ CANADA DAY Salmon BBQ RADELET & COMPANY barristers & Solicitors Tax Law ° Trusts * Corporate & Commercial 1330 - 1075 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, B.C. VoE 3C9 So far, Seltenrich has visited stores all around the northwest from the Queen Charlotte Islands and the Yukon to Hazelton. In the last 18 months, he has given out 10 tickets fo stores that have broken the law. Seltenrich’s 15 and 16-year-old employces are paid $14.62 an hour. Employees never check stores in their hometown. “We're asking a lot of these children,’’ said Seltenrich. Sometimes the work is hard on youths, he said, because if a store appeals its ticket, the youths have to go to court after school Io testify that they were, indeed, sold cigarcttcs. “Tt’s kind of challenging and scary for some of them,’’ Sellenrich said. ‘‘Some of them do it once and say they don’t want to be called again. But others find it exciting. They come out of stores with a spring in their step waving the pack of cigarettes. They appreciate what they’re doing. It’s kind of fun for them.” Selienrich says some of his workers are smokers. They are teens who realize they’re ad- dicted and who now want to stop younger chil- dren from starting. In B.C., 20 teens start to smoke on an average day, but the figure is higher here in the north. Approximately 50,000 chidren in B.C. between the ages of 15 and [8 smoke. Seltenrich said he believes his program is suc- cessful at making it very difficult for young people to buy cigareltes. Slore cmployces agree, Bemic Dean, night manager at Misty River Tackle, said the number of kids who try to buy cigarettes at his store has decreased over the past two years, ‘We used to gel a lot of young kids in here trying to buy cigarettes, but now we don’t get many because we JD everyone. They know we're going to ask them for picture ID, so most of them don’t even bother trying anymore,”’ he said. Employee Troy Bangay said one teen was so angry after he was asked for identification that he smashed in the window of Bangay’s car, which was parked outside the store. Although both men said the sting operations are a bil ancaky since they prey on stares, they agreed that they help deter children from smok- ing. “Ts a trick, but it also keeps the business person honest,'’ Dean said. Underage smokers in Terrace adinilled that it’s hard for them to buy cigarettes in the city. One tecn said stores won't even Ict her buy a lighter, But she said it’s not hard to find someone older to buy smokes for her, especially on weckends. News In Brief New fraud law fines two | IN ACCORDANCE with a new fraud law, two Smithers men were each fined $750 plus a $113 surcharge May 25, afler pleading guilty to charges of defrauding ICBC, . Terry Michael Hut and Robert Martin Graves were charged with making a false statement, under the Insur- ance (Motor Vehicle) Act, after falsely claiming that the vehicle Hunt was driving had collided with a moose, . The Iegislalion, which was cnacted last year, allows ICBC to recover its costs in prosecuting fraud cases. Previously, fraudulent claimants only faced having Uieir claims rejected. Road talks break down THE COMPANY AND its workers which take care of highways and bridges north on Hwy37 are headed to mediation. Nearly 60 members of the B.C. Government and Ser- vice Employees’ Union and Peace Country Maitenance (North) Lid, can't agree on a contract to replace one which ended Feb, 14, 1997. Key outstanding issues are retroactive pay and hours of work, Peace Country looks after roads and bridges from workyards at Bob Quinn, Tatogga (iskut), Dease Lake, Telegraph Creck, Jade City and Allin. The two parties are to meet with a mediator July 9 to 11. Thal session forestalls, for now, strike action. New ferry dock in Hyder THE TINY Alaskan community of Hyder will get a new ferry dock early in the new century. Caroline Gutierrez of the Hyder Community Associa- lion says the $2 (U.S.) million facilily will mean the Alaska Marine Highway System ferry won't have to dock at Canadian facilities just outside of Stewart, B.C, Hyder and Stewart residents have been asking for a new dock, in part to stimulate tourist traffic on the sunumer ferry run, for some years. There was a renewed effort last year after Canadian fishing boats blockaded an American ferry at Prince Rupert, said Gutierrez. Exact plans for the new facility aren’t yet known. Crash kills Terrace man A 19-YEAR-OLD Terrace man was killed last week when his pickup truck left Hwy37 and crashed north of Cranberry Junction. Jason Lee Thomson died June 15 en route to Mills Memorial Hospital by helicopter. Stewart RCMP Const. Don Erichsen said Thomson’s Ford F-350 crew cab truck left the road and struck a rock wall about 105 kilometres north of Kitwanga at ayound 5:30 a.m. Thomson was travelling to a logging camp north of Cranberry Junction where he worked. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, Erichsen said. Fax: 604-689-1386 Fundraiser - Church of Gad 3341 River Drive Adults $7, Children 12 & under $3, Seniors $5 SEE YOU THERE! GOD BLESS YOU, . NOTICE All playing fields at the Terrace, Thornhill & Kitimat area schools will be fertilized monthly. This program will run from May through October 1998. every weekend + Just J0¢ per minute Sieur a soumn -| Onswone § Seevicz + Rat hength « maudmurn 30 calte month + focal cals only, Home Free calls must be to primary cacti =o phone peo ptrary done biL Ode irrste eu fro daytime periods, Annual . ahares primary plan and appears of] primary . Fate Per minute during non laytine . ein tymer scores foe of $40, lng ditanoe charges and tax acre. Early cancellation feee appt on a O8-month home applicable only to calls made on the BO TEL Mobily Network, en a . aM ~ ae Me It’s Not About Time. No Time Limit On 30 Calls Every Month. No Time Limit On Weekends. * Free airtime on your first 30 calls every gail month - ne matter how long you talk. - * Unlimited free calling each and : * First 30 days of usage free $30’ mo ALL GITY CENTRE ep TERRACE KITIMAT TERRACE 8 Informed: Free phone and $24.05 month cefular plan banad ort a 38 month transtatade contract. New cust tn, ae at OmeTy OTH, BG TEL OAC. 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