Minor in Possession of Tobacco

What is the name of your state? Oregon

My 16 y.o. son was issued a ticket for MIP of tobacco. He was on private property and the Officer saw him smoking a cigarette. My son voluntarily gave the Officer the remainder of a pack of cigarettes. The 18 yo friend who was with him was also smoking. He's of legal age to smoke so no ticket was issued to him. However while the Officer was talking to them the 18 y.o friends smoke blew over near the Officers face and the Officer got angry and told him he had just got his friend a $500 ticket. He gave the ticket to my son because he was a minor. What do I do about this? My son has never been arrested.What is the name of your state?

You tell your son to get a job so he can pay off his ticket.

$500 seems pretty steep for smoking a cigarette! If he were 18 or over there would be no issue. I think sometimes Police Officers enjoy intimidating youth by using their ability to write tickets as a means of intimidation.

When I was growing up we respected the Patrols in our area because they were friendly with us. I still remember one of the Officers name! He was a really good person and we trusted him. It was a win-win situation.

Now it seems the Police try to use intimidation tactics and it appears to the kids as wimpy.
There is little respect and that is very sad.

If a crime is committed than of course the youth should be held accountable. Underage smoking is a violation, not a criminal act. In this case the youths weren't causing any trouble, they were standing in the smoking area of a private business, smoking. This isn't the first time they have been harassed for doing nothing! They have been slammed against the Paztrol car and searched just for walking down the street! This has got to stop!

Maybe the ACLU will have a better take on this?

sparkysmom said:

Maybe the ACLU will have a better take on this?

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The ACLU won't touch this with a 10 foot pole. There were no civil rights violated and a case like this would be way too small for them to even consider.

sparkysmom said:

$500 seems pretty steep for smoking a cigarette! If he were 18 or over there would be no issue. I think sometimes Police Officers enjoy intimidating youth by using their ability to write tickets as a means of intimidation.

When I was growing up we respected the Patrols in our area because they were friendly with us. I still remember one of the Officers name! He was a really good person and we trusted him. It was a win-win situation.

Now it seems the Police try to use intimidation tactics and it appears to the kids as wimpy.
There is little respect and that is very sad.

If a crime is committed than of course the youth should be held accountable. Underage smoking is a violation, not a criminal act. In this case the youths weren't causing any trouble, they were standing in the smoking area of a private business, smoking. This isn't the first time they have been harassed for doing nothing! They have been slammed against the Paztrol car and searched just for walking down the street! This has got to stop!

Maybe the ACLU will have a better take on this?

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Respect? How about respect for the law? And, an 18yo blowing smoke at the Officer? don't tell me that was just a mistake... Why aren't you looking to this 18yo to pay the $500? If he were a true friend, he would step up and do the right thing.

It was different "when I was younger" too... but we did not talk the way some kids do today and we never would have blown smoke at an Officer.

You, right here, are setting an example for your son by "excusing" his wrong doing and the 18yo's disrespect for an officer of the law. I am watching this happen more and more. It was just a minor incident now, but the next one will be bigger and he will still find some way to "excuse" his actions I am sure.

THIS is why officers now take attitude with kids now. Someone needs to go back to the old school and teach kids NOT to get in trouble... then there is no way for an officer of the law to intimidate them.

sparkysmom said:

$500 seems pretty steep for smoking a cigarette! If he were 18 or over there would be no issue. I think sometimes Police Officers enjoy intimidating youth by using their ability to write tickets as a means of intimidation.

When I was growing up we respected the Patrols in our area because they were friendly with us. I still remember one of the Officers name! He was a really good person and we trusted him. It was a win-win situation.

Now it seems the Police try to use intimidation tactics and it appears to the kids as wimpy.
There is little respect and that is very sad.

If a crime is committed than of course the youth should be held accountable. Underage smoking is a violation, not a criminal act. In this case the youths weren't causing any trouble, they were standing in the smoking area of a private business, smoking. This isn't the first time they have been harassed for doing nothing! They have been slammed against the Paztrol car and searched just for walking down the street! This has got to stop!

Maybe the ACLU will have a better take on this?

Click to expand...

**A: yes it has got to stop. So stop enabling your son, pay the fine and make him work to pay off the loan you gave him.

Thank you for your responses! I am going to have a talk with my son tonight.
It haunts me that intimidation seems to be accepted and considered the"norm" in this forum.
However, the law was broken and the fine, albeit very large considering the offense, justified.
So he will attend court and pay the fine. I'll make sure I don't excuse his wrong doing. I do want him to grow up knowing what's right.

I do want to teach my kids to respect the law! I wish some of the "old school" Officers were around to teach some current Officers that you get a lot more with common decency toward other human beings than you get by bullying them. It's difficult as a parent to say to your kids that cops are good and can be trusted. I can't help but wonder what they expect to happen when kids are treated with such disdain?

How many of you adults on this forum tried smoking when you were a teen?

Attitude makes a very big difference when it comes to an officer's discretionary act. If your son is hanging with friends who are defiant little punks, then he probably needs to reconsider his choice of friends because next time the friend could get him into real trouble, and not just a civil fine.

I'm not quite "old school", and I know *I* wouldn't like some little twit blowing smoke in my face, either. I might also have cited your son at that time even if I had not been inclined to do so before. These little things can very well tip the balance between a warning and a citation.

Your son can thank his pal.

- Carl

You keep talking about the old school officers. An old school officer would have slamed someonse against a wall for blowing smoke in his face. Do you really expect an officer to give more respect then he gets??? You're lucky your son didn't run into an "old school officer!"

sparkysmom said:

How many of you adults on this forum tried smoking when you were a teen?

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I tried it ... didn't like it ... never was in possession of a pack or partial pack, and never had a friend dumb enough to blow smoke at an officer. This "friend" is trouble waiting to happen.

- Carl

Hey! I didn't tell you the friend deliberately "blew smoke in his face"! I'd be after that kid had he done that to anyone. No, he was smoking, the Officer was checking his ID and while he was smoking the smoke drifted into the Officers face, NOT INTENTIONALLY!!!

The kids were minding their own business, standing in a smoking area on private property.
There were 4 or 5 kids. All of whom were 18 except for my son. When the Officer told them to "get their a**es over here" and then when he became offended by the smoke he said "get that f***ing smoke out of my face", what kind of respect would you feel for that Officer at that moment? We don't allow language like that in our presence, that is offensive.

See, you all right away ASSUME the worst case scenario, don't you? You even called the kids PUNKS.

Why is that? I'm really trying to understand the attitude.

sparkysmom said:

Hey! I didn't tell you the friend deliberately "blew smoke in his face"! I'd be after that kid had he done that to anyone. No, he was smoking, the Officer was checking his ID and while he was smoking the smoke drifted into the Officers face, NOT INTENTIONALLY!!!

The kids were minding their own business, standing in a smoking area on private property.
There were 4 or 5 kids. All of whom were 18 except for my son. When the Officer told them to "get their a**es over here" and then when he became offended by the smoke he said "get that f***ing smoke out of my face", what kind of respect would you feel for that Officer at that moment? We don't allow language like that in our presence, that is offensive.

See, you all right away ASSUME the worst case scenario, don't you? You even called the kids PUNKS.

Why is that? I'm really trying to understand the attitude.

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And teenage kids NEVER twist a story to make themselves seem TOTALLY INNOCENT!

sparkysmom said:

Hey! I didn't tell you the friend deliberately "blew smoke in his face"! I'd be after that kid had he done that to anyone. No, he was smoking, the Officer was checking his ID and while he was smoking the smoke drifted into the Officers face, NOT INTENTIONALLY!!!

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I worked in a bar for 5 years and never had anyone accidentally blow smoke into my face ... unless the officer stuck his nose into the pal's face, I can't see how he managed to blow smoke into the officer's face.

Unless the officer was being overly sensitive - which is possible, I suppose - I have a feeling it happened a little less accidentally than you have been led to believe.

The kids were minding their own business, standing in a smoking area on private property.

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There is no legal place for a minor to smoke.

See, you all right away ASSUME the worst case scenario, don't you? You even called the kids PUNKS.

Why is that? I'm really trying to understand the attitude.

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Maybe it's because in generations past we showed respect for our elders with a "Yes sir, no sir" ... if the cops contacted us, cigs went down, we were polite, non-confrontational, and did not blow smoke in anyone's direction.

I doubt anything I say will explain the attitude. But, I deal with kids all day that cop an attitude and I seriously doubt the officer got bent for no reason. If you have any experience with teens you HAVE to know that the story YOU were told is probably not exactly how it REALLY went down.

- Carl

As adults we require kids to be respectful, in their talk, actions and demeanor. Teens oftentimes get into being disrespectful to act out in front of their friends. This is wrong but also common and they should be reprimanded for it.

But as adults our actions are observed constantly by our kids. The way we talk, act and our demeanor speaks volumes to kids. I wish to convey from a parents point of view to those of you who are examples to our kids to please remember you are teaching them how to behave toward you by your actions toward them. If you want to be respected you must respect yourself enough to respect those you serve. That means you must treat each human being as if they are worthy to be respected. Especially our youth.

I want these kids to look up to you! I want them to know they can count on you if they ever need you! We should be proud of you because you deserve our respect! I think you have a great opportunity to teach kids to desire to be good, follow your example and uphold the law.
That's the "old school" way I've previously referred to. When did it become a "you guys" against"us" society?

You are PUBLIC SERVANTS, right???

You've got it all wrong. If you give respect to an officer, 99.9% of the time you will get it back. I was a wild young man, but being the son of a career Army officer I learned respect. In all my years, and minor scrapes with the law, I always got respect because I gave it. Unfortunatly I didn't always get let off!