Results of a December 2011 Alcohol Compliance Check in the Haines City, FL Area

The StandUP Polk Coalition for a Drug-Free Polk and the Haines City Police Department would like to share the results of a recent Compliance Check held to combat the illegal sale of alcohol to minors. Compliance checks are conducted periodically throughout our community to verify that retail establishments are following the law by not selling to minors, and checking proper identification to verify legal age.

Haines City Police Department Community Policing Officers and Agents within the Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco Bureau were assisted by high school Police Explorer volunteers in a compliance check of 30 establishments within the city limits of Haines City, FL, held on Friday, December 16, 2011.

Of the 30 retail establishments checked in this operation, 27 of the businesses were found to be in compliance with the Florida State Statutes as follows:

1. Citgo Gas Station, 1202 Polk City Road – No Sale
2. Liquor 5, 38 Maxcy Plaza - No Sale
3. CVS, 35799 Highway 27 North - No Sale
4. La Placita Mexico, 201 North 10th Street - No Sale
5. Wal-Mart, 36205 Highway 27 North - No Sale
6. Dollar General, 1391 Southern Dunes Blvd - No Sale
7. Winn Dixie, 36019 Highway 27 - No Sale
8. Publix, 617 West Highway 17-92 - No Sale
9. City Foods, 21 North 7th Street - No Sale
10. Shell Gas Station, 1199 Powerline Road - No Sale.
11. La Tapatia, 1102 North Highway 17-92 - No Sale
12. BP Gas Station, 501 Highway 17-92 North - No Sale
13. Rodriguez Fashion, 1100 Highway 17-92 North - No Sale
14. BP Gas Station, 95 Highway 17-92 West - No Sale
15. El Zocalo, 452 Highway 17-92 North - No Sale.
16. QP Gas Station, 2670 North Highway 17-92 - No Sale
17. Save-A-Lot, 1687 East Hinson Avenue - No Sale
18. Family Discount Beverage, 808 Ingraham Avenue - No Sale
19. Citgo, 2998 West 17-92 - No Sale
20. Sunoco, 3104 East Hinson Avenue - No Sale
21. El Ranchero, 2555 Highway 17-92 North - No Sale
22. CVS, 1701 East Hinson Avenue - No Sale
23. ABC Liquor Store, 701 West Highway 17-92 - No Sale
24. Kangaroo, 1013 East Hinson Avenue - No Sale
25. Publix Liquor Store, 39877 Highway 27 - No Sale
26. Walgreen’s Pharmacy, 40079 Highway 27 - No Sale
27. CVS, 39902 Highway 27 - No Sale

The 3 stores found NOT in compliance were:

7-11 Store, 38409 Highway 27, Haines City
First Choice Pharmacy, 401 East Hinson Avenue, Haines City
Sunoco SuperMart, 35855 US Highway 27, Haines City

The StandUP Polk Coalition and the Haines City Police Department commend and appreciate the majority of local retail outlets that are doing their part to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors.

Chief of Police, Richard H. Sloan, had this to say about the initiative, “This is an effective way to educate the local community and business owners that the Haines City Police Department will not tolerate the illegal sale of alcohol to minors.”

Free Tobacco Cessation Program Starts January 5, 2012

If you’ve resolved to make 2012 the year that you stamp out your smoking habit and enjoy the rest of your life smoke-free, support is just a phone call away!

InnerAct Alliance is proud to partner with Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Network and Florida Department of Health to offer Polk County residents a Free Quit Smoking Now Tobacco Cessation program.

Quitting smoking is one of the healthiest lifestyle changes a person can make, but it can also be difficult to accomplish without support. The 5-week program, developed by ex-smokers for those who want to become ex-smokers themselves, runs from January 5 – February 2, 2012. Weekly meetings will be held on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at tba church, 1815 East CR-540A, in Lakeland.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) patches will also available to participants free of charge.

For information about the Quit Smoking Now program or to register for the January 5th class, please call 1-877-252-6094.