The U.S. state of Texas is offering schools and local law enforcement agencies money to help them keep tobacco out of the hands of children, the state's comptroller said Monday.
Grants ranging from 1,000 to 150,000 U.S. dollars are offered for activities such as tobacco education for kids, tobacco retailers and court personnel or for sting operations to catch retailers selling tobacco to minors, Texas Comptroller Susan Combs said.
The grant amount for law enforcement agencies depends on the number of tobacco retailers within a jurisdiction, while the grant amount available for school districts is based on the number of students who will be taught about the underage smoking ban.
Under the Texas law, people under 18 are banned from smoking or having tobacco products.