Salem City Health District is not just blowing smoke with its latest city ordinance to give the city the power to now enforce laws that prevent minors from purchasing any tobacco products.

While it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase tobacco products in Ohio by state law, the new ordinance gives the city's health district the ability to enforce and fine stores not are not complying with the new city ordinance.

Allana Stainbrook, the city's health commissioner, said the new ordinance will go into effect on July 15. The resolution was passed by the Salem City Health District Board of commissioners after the public hearing on Wednesday. The resolution was first read at the April 20 meeting, followed by a second reading during the May 18 meeting, and was confirmed during the June 15 public meeting where tobacco vendors were invited to speak on the ordinance. No vendors attended or spoke at the meeting Stainbrook said.

Letters will now go out to vendors requiring any store that sells cigarettes, tobacco products, or nicotine products must register with the city and pay an annual fee of $100. Stainbrook said the funds will go towards the health district's costs for employees to do quarterly and random checks to make sure the stores are complying with state law and the city's ordinance, to verify stores have state-approved Tobacco 21 signage on tobacco and e-cigarettes sales.

Salem City Ordinance 537.18 gives the health district the ability to fine stores that are caught selling tobacco products to minors. Vendors caught in violation will receive the following enforcement:

The first offense will be a written warning; the second offense will be a $250 fine; third offense - $500 fine; the fourth offense would be $1,000 fine. Any offenses after that will go to an administrative permit review, which could include revoking of permit to sell tobacco products.