All 22 Riverhead businesses pass underage vape, tobacco sales checks

Riverhead retailers went 22-for-22 in a police compliance sweep aimed at underage vape and tobacco sales, a clean result that still carried a clear enforcement message for stores across town.

The checks were conducted Wednesday, May 6, by the Riverhead Police Department’s COPE Division with the Riverhead Community Awareness Program. Officers and compliance partners visited businesses along East Main Street, Route 25, Route 25A, Middle Country Road, Old Country Road, Main Road and Osborn Avenue, including Riverhead Stationary and a mix of gas stations, smoke shops, convenience stores and larger retail stops. Every one of the 22 businesses passed.

That outcome matters because the operation targeted sales to people under 21, the legal cutoff set by New York State Public Health Law Article 13-F. State law also bans the sale of flavored nicotine-containing vapor products to anyone, a restriction aimed at products that have remained especially popular with young users. Suffolk County says clerks should ask for valid proof of age from anyone who looks under 25, a standard meant to prevent a quick sale from turning into a violation.

The Riverhead result is a positive mark for local merchants, but it is also a snapshot in a wider enforcement campaign. Suffolk County’s Tobacco Enforcement Unit says youth ages 18 to 20 are trained to help conduct compliance inspections, and businesses found guilty can face hearings, fines and a possible one-year loss of tobacco sales registration and lottery license. Repeated violations can bring permanent loss of both licenses. The county reported more than 500 compliance inspections of tobacco retailers in the prior year, showing that the checks are routine rather than symbolic.

Public health officials still point to youth vaping as a problem even as use has eased nationwide. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said current e-cigarette use among U.S. middle and high school students fell from 7.7% in 2023 to 5.9% in 2024, or 1.63 million students. But among students who still used e-cigarettes, 87.6% used flavored products, and disposable devices remained the most common type. In that context, Riverhead’s perfect score reads less like an all-clear than a reminder that retailer training, enforcement pressure and youth buying patterns all remain under scrutiny.