A report shows tobacco purchases by minors in Dane County decreased slightly in 2015, but youth access to e-cigarettes is still high compared to traditional cigarettes.

A growing national trend in youth e-cig consumption means the data is cause for concern, Nina Gregerson, Tobacco Free Columbia-Dane County Coalition assistant coordinator, said. While the county has efforts in place to curb traditional smoking, programs targeting e-cigs have lagged behind, she said.

The county relies on compliance reports on retailers conducted each year to monitor the prevalence of underage sales and the 2015 report indicates a large increase in youth consumption of e-cigs in recent years, Gregerson said.

There was also a disparity between compliance reports on tobacco sales in the city of Madison versus Dane County.

In Dane County, the report showed three out of five establishments sold e-cig products to minors. In the city of Madison rates were slightly lower, with three out of eight establishments found selling e-cig products to minors.

Youth e-cig use tripled between 2013 and 2014 reports, making the county’s compliance findings troubling, Gregerson said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not released the 2015 report yet.

E-cig use is a growing concern due to the lack of studies concerning its long term health effects, Gregerson said. Currently, e-cig retailers aren’t required to have a license and she said she believes requiring them to get licensed would solve part of the problem.

Last year’s compliance report also revealed that in 48 out of 55 illicit sales instances clerks asked for ID, but failed to properly identify the purchasers age, Gregerson said. She said this likely indicates a lack of proper training, which would be required if the retailer held a tobacco license.

“Research shows that with tobacco licenses compliance actually increases,” Gregerson said.

Unfortunately, she said, there are no current efforts to introduce new regulations at the local level.

Dane County Supervisor Leland Pan, District 5, said the issue of e-cig use is a conversation worth having, especially with regards to public health. In the past, he said the county has voted to treat smoking e-cigs in public places the same way as regular cigarettes.

The county currently combats youth tobacco use through compliance checks and a youth-led movement known as FACT.