Teens caught smoking on camera

Seven students and former students of Riverside High School were cited with smoking cigarettes after being caught on film.

The suspects were spotted smoking on  surveillance cameras at the nearby Kootenai River Inn. Bonners Ferry City Police were then contacted.

In Idaho, it’s illegal for anyone under 18 to smoke.

“The inn does a really good job of helping the community out for law enforcement activity,” said officer Don Moore. “They want to create a safe environment for their patrons.”

 The students were on their lunch break. They were joined by other teens, who are not students. All were charged with minor in possession of tobacco.

“There were some older kids involved with students,” said Moore. “They wouldn’t advise where they got the cigarettes from and we couldn’t determine if they got them from the older kids.”

Catching so many youth at one time isn’t the norm.

“Usually I get two or three,” said Moore. “This the first time I have gotten this many

at once. We get complaints from neighbors and people in that area asking if they can do something about them smoking.”

The violation usually includes a fine with some sort of community service.

“These are young adults fully capable of making the wrong or right decision,” said Moore.