Candy Cigarette Fine; Minnesota Soda Shop Removes Candy, That Promotes Smoking?
The owner of old-school fountain soda shop in St. Paul, Minn. was warned not to sell candy cigarettes or else she would face a criminal charge.
Inspectors from the city told the owner of Lynden's Soda Fountain on Dec. 19 that selling the novelty cigarettes is a violation of an ordinance that halts the sale of candy smoking paraphernalia, according to The Star Tribune. Store owner Tobi Lynden was warned that if the shop was caught selling either fake cigarettes or cartoon character lighters, she could face a misdemeanor citation and a fine of around $500.
A city spokesperson said the warning came after inspectors received and looked into a complaint about the presence of the tobacco-themed products. Inspectors called for the removal of the candy cigarettes as well as Big League Chew gum and the bubble gum cigars.
The warning came as a surprise since Lyndon was not aware that it was illegal to sell candy cigarettes at the soda shop.
"We're a tiny little soda fountain shop that specializes in vintage candies and vintage sodas," Lynden told CBS Minneapolis station WCCO. "We never had any issues with it. People were always happy to see them."
The city of St. Paul enacted an ordinance to discourage young people from buying candy cigarettes and cartoon-like lighters in an effort to stop smoking habit that could arise in the future.
The candy cigarettes, which are white candy sticks with red tips, were the soda fountain's best-selling candy items and the owner said they were mostly bought by adults. The items have since been pulled off the shelves to avoid running afoul of the ordinance.
The shop posted a comment on Facebook on Dec. 20, saying, "We are sorry for the inconvenience and want everyone to know we were just bringing a little nostalgia here and NOT trying to promote smoking."
Lynden's first opened in April 2011.
