COLUMBUS, Ohio — The City of Columbus sued the owners of a smoke shop near Hilliard, accusing the owners of years of illegal tobacco sales to underage consumers as well as violating the city's flavored tobacco ban earlier this year.
According to Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein, the city says the owners of Smoke House, located on Roberts Road, have shown a "flagrant disregard for tobacco regulations."
The city says Columbus Public Health has conducted at least eight underage tobacco product purchases at the store since 2017, each within weeks of undercover compliance checks where CPH officials noted underage sales at the store.
Additionally, the city said CPH received tips that the store was selling illicit cannabis products and the department levied a $1,000 fine against the operators in 2023 for continued underage sales at the store.
After the city's flavored tobacco ban went into effect in January 2024, the store continued to sell flavored tobacco products. The city said a CPH agent bought a flavored vape product just two weeks after the ban went into effect.
In August, the city said employees sold a flavored vape product to a CPH agent and also failed to ask for identification. CPH levied a $10,000 fine against the owners.
Last month, the Columbus Division of Police sent the owners a notice that the city intended to propose a revocation of the ownership's tobacco sales license. A week later, CPH received an application for a tobacco license from another group looking to take over the space and continue selling tobacco products under a similar name, “Smoke House Plus.”
A preliminary hearing is set for Nov. 18.
