The store allegedly have been caught selling tobacco to minors, among other violations.
File photo of cigarettes. (Getty)NEWARK -- Two New Jersey businesses may be banned from selling tobacco products for 30 days, the result of repeated alleged incidents of their selling cigarettes to minors, federal officials announced Thursday.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has filed complaints to initiate a "No Sale Tobacco Order" against eight retailers across the country, including two in New Jersey. The complaints mark the first time the FDA has sought NTSOs since their passage as part of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, the FDA said in a release.
According to the FDA, it can request the 30-day stop orders against businesses that have violated tobacco sale restrictions, including cigarette sales to minors, five or more times in the past 36 months.
MORE: Essex joins N.J. counties banning smoking at parks
"Retailers are the first line of defense in preventing the illegal sale of harmful and addictive products like cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to youth," Mitch Zeller, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said in the release.
"These enforcement actions will send a powerful message to all retailers that there are real consequences for repeatedly violating the law."
The complaints were filed against two businesses in Essex County - I and S Grocery in Newark, and C and C Supermarket in Irvington. Neither could be immediately reached for comment.
According to the FDA, the stores have 30 days to respond to the complaints. If the NTSOs are approved by FDA Administrative Law Judges, the administration will conduct unannounced checks to make sure the stores have stopped selling tobacco products, it said.
The orders, the FDA said, are in an effort to combat youth smoking. According to the administration, a 2014 estimate said about 4.6 million American middle and high school students use tobacco.
Jessica Mazzola may be reached at jmazzola@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @JessMazzola. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
