NOW HIRING: TEEN CIGARETTE NARCS.

• Author: Stooksberry, Jay
• Position: DRUGS

FINDING A JOB as a 16-year-old can be a challenge.

Luckily, Denver is offering a unique employment opportunity geared specifically toward youth. The title of this once-in-a-lifetime resume-building gig? Minor tobacco operative.

Though the job title smacks of clandestine doublespeak, the position is pretty straightforward. The ideal candidate conducts "compliance inspections of tobacco retailers" by attempting to illegally purchase cigarettes. As these operatives coax vendors to sell them a pack of smokes ("I totally left my ID in my dorm room"), a law enforcement agent hovers outside.

In other words, Denver is hiring teen cigarette narcs.

The recent job posting is actually a continuation of a program that started in January 2017. Denver Mayor Michael Hancock announced the rollout of the program by highlighting it in his latest budget. Described as "an increase in personnel services to hire on-call youth tobacco inspectors to conduct tobacco compliance inspections," one full-time equivalent of $26,900--six part-time positions starting at $12 per hour for 5-10 hours a week-was added to the Department of Environmental Health in 2017 budget.

These positions are funded by a statewide cigarette sales tax of an additional 84 cents per pack. Coloradans voted the sin tax into law in 2004, and the majority of the revenue is distributed to municipalities for the purpose of "health care and tobacco prevention programs." During the 2015-16 fiscal year, Colorado's "Prevention Detection Treatment Fund" spent $23.1 million funding programs such as Denver's minor tobacco operatives.

During the 2016 elections, Colorado voters narrowly defeated Amendment 72, which would have increased the existing sales tax by another $1.75 per pack. Projections were that over $315 million would be collected annually if the measure had passed. Opponents were concerned--and rightfully so--that the funds were a blank check that committed future legislatures to funding programs that were not transparent or accountable.

As stated in its...