Top Takeaways:

• Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed civil complaints against two vape shops for repeatedly selling to minors.
• New York Smoke Shop failed 83% of undercover inspections, while Pro Source failed 67%, compared to a statewide average failure rate of 13%.
• Authorities are seeking $10,000 per violation and dissolution of these businesses to enforce age laws and protect youth.

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a civil complaint against two vape retailers accused of repeatedly selling nicotine products to minors.

The complaint targets New York Smoke Shop LLC, which operates in Chandler, and Pro Source Supply LLC, which runs stores in Scottsdale, Tempe, and Glendale. According to Mayes, both companies have shown “persistent disregard for state and federal age-restriction laws,” with undercover investigations revealing a “consistent pattern of noncompliance.”

“As the first mom to hold the office of Attorney General, I think I speak for parents everywhere when I say that it’s egregious that these shops are actively selling nicotine vapes and e-cigarettes to minors,” Mayes said during a press conference this week. “We have a responsibility to protect the next generation of Arizonans from a life of addiction.”

The Attorney General’s Office said that New York Smoke Shop failed 83 percent of undercover inspections conducted by youth agents over the past three years. Pro Source failed 67 percent of inspections across its three locations. Both businesses are accused of selling nicotine vapes to customers without checking IDs, sometimes even after teens disclosed they were underage.

“These are not isolated incidents,” Mayes added. “Let this be a warning to the vape shops operating in Arizona: Do not sell to children, or we will come after you. Make sure to ID every customer, cut out the dangerous cartoon advertising, and follow the law.”

The Attorney General’s youth tobacco enforcement initiative, known as the “Counter Strike” program, has been conducting undercover stings throughout the state since 2016. While the statewide average failure rate is about 13 percent, the two businesses named in the complaint have far exceeded that benchmark.

Mayes is seeking $10,000 in civil penalties for each violation, and her office is calling for the dissolution of both companies.

Retailers contacted in the wake of the announcement offered mixed responses, according to media reports. Kerri Carter, manager of Sticky’s Smoke Shop in Tucson, said her store enforces a strict policy of checking IDs for anyone who appears under 40. “We don’t take chances,” Carter said. “We train our staff to be vigilant because the consequences are real.”

Still, enforcement gaps remain. The Attorney General’s Office reports that 29 retailers in Pima County alone failed at least one youth inspection last year. “This case is about accountability,” Mayes said. “We’re putting Arizona’s retailers on notice that selling to minors won’t be tolerated—not now, not ever.”

The case is now moving through the state’s civil court system. In the meantime, the Attorney General’s Office says it will continue to conduct undercover inspections and pursue enforcement actions against retailers that violate age-restriction laws.