Attorney General Mayes Announces 451 Criminal Citations in Crackdown on Tobacco Sales to Minors in Fiscal Year 2025
PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes today announced the results of the Attorney General's Office "Operation Counter Strike" program, which conducted 1,882 inspections of tobacco retailers across every Arizona county in fiscal year 2025 - resulting in 451 criminal citations issued to clerks and businesses that sold tobacco products to minors.
"Selling tobacco and nicotine products to children is illegal, and my office will not look the other way," said Attorney General Mayes. "We're going after the worst offenders, and we're putting every retailer in Arizona on notice that they must follow the law."
Operation Counter Strike, a partnership with the Arizona Department of Health Services since 2002, uses youth volunteers accompanied by Attorney General investigators to conduct compliance checks at tobacco retailers statewide. Retailers who sell to underage buyers face criminal citations and fines up to $1,000 per offense. Under Arizona law, the legal age to purchase tobacco and nicotine products is 21.
While most retailers pass their inspections, the program's 13.6% statewide failure rate reveals persistent bad actors. In 2025, the Attorney General's Office filed consumer fraud lawsuits against two of the state's worst offenders, Pro Source and New York Smoke Shop.
The following retailers have demonstrated a troubling pattern of selling tobacco to minors:
|
Retailer |
Address |
Location |
Failure Rate |
Since |
|
Bob's Vape and Smoke Shop |
9014 W Thomas Rd |
Phoenix |
80% |
2021 |
|
24/7 Smoke Shop East |
7231 E Golf Links Rd |
Tucson |
80% |
2021 |
|
Chevron Food Mart |
500 E 32nd St |
Yuma |
80% |
2023 |
|
Noah Smoke Shop |
12416 N 28th Dr |
Phoenix |
69% |
2022 |
|
Haus of Vapors |
15030 N Tatum Blvd |
Phoenix |
67% |
2022 |
|
Gravitate Smoke Shop |
183 E Williams Field Rd |
Gilbert |
67% |
2024 |
|
Z Market Smoke Shop |
2795 N 1st Ave |
Tucson |
67% |
2024 |
|
Head East Smoke Shop |
5645 E Broadway Blvd |
Tucson |
67% |
2023 |
|
Vapor Etc. |
20800 N John Wayne Pkwy |
Maricopa |
67% |
2022 |
|
Food City |
300 N Florence St |
Casa Grande |
67% |
2023 |
|
Chevron |
171 W Continental Rd |
Green Valley |
50% |
2021 |
|
Skywater Smoke Shop |
2051 S Dobson Rd |
Mesa |
50% |
2021 |
|
Pilot Travel Center |
1201 W Main St |
Quartzsite |
50% |
2021 |
|
Super Gas Mini-Mart |
611 E Main St |
Somerton |
50% |
2022 |
Full retailer inspection data is available at https://az.countertools.org/retailers-public.
The Operation Counter Strike program also helps protect more than $50 million in annual federal funding for substance abuse and mental health services in Arizona.
Arizonans who believe a retailer is selling tobacco or e-cigarettes to minors can file a complaint at www.azag.gov/consumer.