Most Clark County retailers refuse tobacco sales to minors

VANCOUVER, WA – Most Clark County tobacco retailers are refusing to sell tobacco products to minors. Between July 1, 2008 and June 30, 2009, Clark County Public Health conducted a series of tobacco compliance checks at 163 retail outlets. Twenty-nine locations were randomly selected. For those retailers, the compliance rate was 90 percent. The remaining checks were conducted at retailers that have either sold to minors in the past, or are located near areas frequented by children. The compliance rate for that group was 87 percent. These rates are well within federal requirements, which stipulate that tobacco sales rates to minors be 20 percent or less.

During a compliance check, a minor, accompanied by a county employee, attempts to purchase tobacco. If asked, he or she shows valid identification. Most illegal tobacco sales occur when clerks fail to verify that the minor is 18 years or older. “Either clerks don’t ask for identification or they incorrectly calculate the teen’s age after looking at the identification,” said Theresa Cross, a health educator with Clark County Public Health.

Washington State driver’s licenses read vertically for people under 21 years of age and horizontally for people over 21. “Seeing a vertical license can alert retailers that the customer might not be old enough to buy tobacco,” said Cross.

In Washington State, retailers who sell tobacco to minors can be fined $100 for the first offense. The fine for a clerk is $50. Repeat offenders are fined up to $1,500 and may have their license to sell tobacco products suspended. During this most recent period, six retailers sold tobacco to a minor for the second time. Each owner was fined $300 by the Washington State Liquor Control Board.

As more retailers refuse to sell tobacco to minors, teens are obtaining tobacco from friends, family, and strangers at higher rates than ever. According to the 2006 Washington State Healthy Youth Survey, these minors typically give someone money to purchase the tobacco for them. State law prohibits even family members from giving tobacco to anyone under 18 years of age.

Because most tobacco users pick up the habit as teens, discouraging tobacco use in youth is a public health priority. For more information about tobacco prevention and education programs in Clark County, visit www.clark.wa.gov/health/tobacco. For state information, see http://www.doh.wa.gov/tobacco.