Chapter 16 Youth access to tobacco

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The tobacco industry "is strongly opposed to federal regulations requiring states to

effectively enforce their laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors. ...the Tobacco

Institute has circulated a model state bill concerning underage tobacco sales. These

bills strip communities of enforcement authority while making effective enforcement by

state officials virtually impossible. The evidence strongly suggests an industry

strategy to undermine efforts to enforce laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors.

As has been the case in the past, the tobacco industry is publicly endorsing a socially

responsible goal while apparently taking action behind the scenes to ensure that the

goal is not achieved..." "Although the tobacco industry claims that it is working to halt

the illegal sale of tobacco to minors, an examination...of the legislation it supports

suggests that it is, in fact, doing a great deal to sabotage efforts to institute meaningful

enforcement of laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors. The enactment of so

many weak, pre-emptive laws represents a severe blow to public health efforts to

reduce the illegal sale of tobacco to children."

Tobacco Control, Summer 1996, pp. 127-130 (Joe DiFranza)

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"A licensing system for tobacco retailers is a key component in implementing an

effective policy for preventing youth access to tobacco. A licensing system has three

major benefits: (1) it provides for license suspension or revocation as a penalty, which

provides additional motivation for retailers to comply with the law (this process is

similar to that used to control the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors); (2) it helps to

identify most establishments that sell tobacco, thus facilitating compliance checks;

and (3) licensing fees can generate a source of funds to pay for enforcement."

"License suspension or revocation provides stronger economic deterrent than fines to

retailers who violate youth access laws. With this greater economic stake in

enforcement, retailers are more likely to monitor themselves and to provide or

participate in merchant and employee education programs."

Stop the Sale, Prevent the Addiction

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Thursday, July 06, 2000

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