Store owners to receive warning on sale of drug-use items

Diana Sahagun

Friday, May 25, 2001 | 11:24 a.m.

Convenience store owners in the Las Vegas Valley will soon receive from the city a letter warning them to remove certain items or face the possible revocation of their licenses.

During his weekly press conference Thursday Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said he and City Councilman Lawrence Weekly are drafting a letter informing store owners the city will no longer tolerate the sale of products associated with drug use. The letters will be sent throughout the city but the intended target is West Las Vegas.

Last week an emotional Weekly asked his colleagues to help him clean up his ward, which includes West Las Vegas. For years, he said, convenience store owners have gotten away with selling legal items which are deemed by police to be associated with drug activity. The list includes cut-up scouring pads, novelty glass vials and single razor blades.

The City Council recently denied liquor licenses to two West Las Vegas convenience stores after Jim DiFiore, the city's director of business licensing, told the council that, during surprise visits, members of his office found stores that were selling drug paraphernalia.

Goodman and City Councilman Larry Brown voted against denying the licenses; they were concerned the city was not giving the owners fair notice.

Goodman said Thursday the letter will serve to ensure that all respective store owners have the opportunity to eliminate the items.

" ... If we find drug paraphernalia it could be grounds that they are going to lose their license, they will lose their ability to sell beer and wine, and maybe even further than that," Goodman said.