NEWS
Smokes out: Youngsters kept cigarette-free
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Also by Beth Mueller:
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- Senate approves UW System staff unionization (February 20, 2008)
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Related Stories:
- Cigarettes reach kids once in 5 tries (April 24, 2007)
- Madison vendors less compliant (September 19, 2005)
- State may tighten reins on tobacco sales (February 20, 2002)
- City tobacco sales to minors at record lows (September 15, 2004)
- Madison's unemployment rate lowest in state (April 25, 2002)
by Beth Mueller
Monday, February 25, 2008
Wisconsin vendors are illegally selling tobacco to minors at
the lowest-ever recorded rate, about 4.5 percent, according to a state survey
released Friday.
Federal legislation requires all states to monitor the rate
of illegal sales of tobacco to minors and to reduce that rate, and Wisconsin’s
target rate is 20 percent. Consequences for failing to best the target rate
would amount to about $10 million in lost federal funds for substance abuse
prevention and treatment.
In 2001, the rate stood at 33.7 percent, dropping to 20.4
percent in 2002. The 2007 number of 4.5 percent is down from 2006’s 5.5 percent
rate.
“As attorney general, I fought
the big tobacco companies to help protect children from the health hazards of
tobacco use, and as governor, I am very pleased we have made amazing progress
in preventing the sale of tobacco to minors in Wisconsin,” Gov. Jim Doyle said
in a statement.
The Synar survey, named after
the congressman who advocated attention to preventing cigarette sales to
minors, selects different outlets from across the state to check for the rate
of tobacco sales to minors.
“We do a compliance check,” said Sheri Johnson, state health
officer. “We make attempts to purchase tobacco by people who are posing as
minors.”
Johnson attributed much of the
success in lowering the noncompliance rate to the Wisconsin Wins program, which
provides training and education to retailers about sales of tobacco to minors.
“If you’ve been to a gas station or a minimart, you’ll see
there are frequently signs at the checkout,” Johnson said, adding the signs are
often among the materials provided through Wisconsin Wins.
Johnson called the low rate for 2007 a “shared success” for
the tobacco prevention and control program and retailers around the state.
“It really says 96 percent of our retailers are
understanding the importance of preventing minors from starting to smoke and
complying with our program,” Johnson said.
Wisconsin has undertaken a series of tobacco crackdown
measures this year, including the recent enactment of a $1 increase to the
cigarette sales tax and work on a potential smoking ban in all Wisconsin
workplaces.
The smoking ban, however, is currently facing obstacles in
the Legislature and would require major compromises from both sides of the
debate to pass before the end of this session in mid-March.
Anonymous (February 25, 2008 @ 5:04pm):
FTA: "Federal legislation requires all states to monitor the rate of illegal sales of tobacco to minors and to reduce that rate, and Wisconsinâs target rate is 20 percent."
Does that mean 20% of sales are to minors? Doesn't seem like a very enthusiastic goal.
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