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. (a) (1) Every person, firm, or corporation that knowingly or
under circumstances in which it has knowledge, or should otherwise
have grounds for knowledge, sells, gives, or in any way furnishes to
another person who is under the age of 18 years any tobacco,
cigarette, or cigarette papers, or blunt wraps, or any other
preparation of tobacco, or any other instrument or paraphernalia that
is designed for the smoking or ingestion of tobacco, products
prepared from tobacco, or any controlled substance, is subject to
either a criminal action for a misdemeanor or to a civil action
brought by a city attorney, a county counsel, or a district attorney,
punishable by a fine of two hundred dollars ($200) for the first
offense, five hundred dollars ($500) for the second offense, and one
thousand dollars ($1,000) for the third offense.
Notwithstanding Section 1464 or any other law, 25 percent of each
civil and criminal penalty collected pursuant to this subdivision
shall be paid to the office of the city attorney, county counsel, or
district attorney, whoever is responsible for bringing the successful
action, and 25 percent of each civil and criminal penalty collected
pursuant to this subdivision shall be paid to the city or county for
the administration and cost of the community service work component
provided in subdivision (b).
Proof that a defendant, or his or her employee or agent, demanded,
was shown, and reasonably relied upon evidence of majority shall be
defense to any action brought pursuant to this subdivision. Evidence
of majority of a person is a facsimile of or a reasonable likeness of
a document issued by a federal, state, county, or municipal
government, or subdivision or agency thereof, including, but not
limited to, a motor vehicle operator's license, a registration
certificate issued under the federal Selective Service Act, or an
identification card issued to a member of the Armed Forces.
For purposes of this section, the person liable for selling or
furnishing tobacco products to minors by a tobacco vending machine
shall be the person authorizing the installation or placement of the
tobacco vending machine upon premises he or she manages or otherwise
controls and under circumstances in which he or she has knowledge, or
should otherwise have grounds for knowledge, that the tobacco
vending machine will be utilized by minors.
(2) For purposes of this section, "blunt wraps" means cigar papers
or cigar wrappers of all types that are designed for smoking or
ingestion of tobacco products and contain less than 50 percent
tobacco.
(b) Every person under the age of 18 years who purchases,
receives, or possesses any tobacco, cigarette, or cigarette papers,
or any other preparation of tobacco, or any other instrument or
paraphernalia that is designed for the smoking of tobacco, products
prepared from tobacco, or any controlled substance shall, upon
conviction, be punished by a fine of seventy-five dollars ($75) or 30
hours of community service work.
(c) Every person, firm, or corporation that sells, or deals in
tobacco or any preparation thereof, shall post conspicuously and keep
so posted in his, her, or their place of business at each point of
purchase the notice required pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section
22952 of the Business and Professions Code, and any person failing to
do so shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of fifty dollars
($50) for the first offense, one hundred dollars ($100) for the
second offense, two hundred fifty dollars ($250) for the third
offense, and five hundred dollars ($500) for the fourth offense and
each subsequent violation of this provision, or by imprisonment in a
county jail not exceeding 30 days.
(d) For purposes of determining the liability of persons, firms,
or corporations controlling franchises or business operations in
multiple locations for the second and subsequent violations of this
section, each individual franchise or business location shall be
deemed a separate entity.
(e) Notwithstanding subdivision (b), any person under 18 years of
age who purchases, receives, or possesses any tobacco, cigarette, or
cigarette papers, or any other preparation of tobacco, any other
instrument or paraphernalia that is designed for the smoking of
tobacco, or products prepared from tobacco is immune from prosecution
for that purchase, receipt, or possession while participating in
either of the following:
(1) An enforcement activity that complies with the guidelines
adopted pursuant to subdivisions (c) and (d) of Section 22952 of the
Business and Professions Code.
(2) An activity conducted by the State Department of Public
Health, a local health department, or a law enforcement agency for
the purpose of determining or evaluating youth tobacco purchase
rates.
(f) It is the Legislature's intent to regulate the subject matter
of this section. As a result, a city, county, or city and county
shall not adopt any ordinance or regulation inconsistent with this
section.