ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – A group of gas station and convenience store owners want to overturn a law that bans tobacco sales near schools in St. Louis County.
The 2019 ordinance says the county will not grant new tobacco licenses to businesses within 1,000 feet of a school. Existing businesses are exempt until they’re sold.
According to FOX 2’s partners at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, four company owners are suing the county for decreasing the value of their businesses, a violation of the state constitution. They also argue the law is not needed because stores are already required to check IDs before selling tobacco.
