Smokeout

    Tom MacDonald has been following council hearings at city hall, and has this update:

    Philadelphia City Council’s Committee on Public Health and Human Services heard testimony on a bill to increase the fines to merchants who sell cigarettes to underage teens.

    Health Secretary Dr Donald Schwartz came to the hearing with a box full of cigarettes purchased by underage investigators in city stores.

    The goal of the the hearing is to increase the fines from 100 dollars to anywhere to 300 to two thousand dollars depending on the number of offenses.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    You must be 18 to purchase cigarettes in Philadelphia.

    More on council reaction to the testimony later on All Things Considered.

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal