Tobacco Sales To Young Rampant, Says Study Sting Finds 40 Percent Of Stores Willing To Sell To Underage Buyers

Of the nation’s shopkeepers who sell tobacco products, 40 percent sell to young people 18 and younger even though all 50 states prohibit tobacco sales to minors, according to a new government study.

To check the national noncompliance rates, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration worked with state officials and teenage inspectors, who entered some 60,000 retail establishments and attempted to buy tobacco products.

Vice President Al Gore released the study of national retailer compliance rates at the same time he announced a $7.5 million advertising campaign to inform retailers and customers about the new buyer-identification requirements. Gore likened waging war against tobacco to running a marathon - he recently ran one - in which the race gets harder the longer it goes.

“President Clinton and I want to reduce youth smoking by half over the next seven years, but we’ve got to get moving, and that’s why Congress must pass bipartisan, comprehensive anti-smoking legislation by this summer,” said Gore.

One problem the administration and Congress face is that every day more interests line up to get their share of the billions of dollars tobacco companies have offered to pay to end the litigation brought by governments and private plaintiffs.

Local governments believe their claim is especially meritorious since many pay a share of the costs of their states’ Medicaid program and also provide health care for the uninsured, who often are treated in county hospitals and clinics.

The tobacco industry is offering to pay billions of dollars as part of a proposed settlement between 40 state attorneys general, who sued the industry. However, Congress must pass legislation for several key provisions sought by the industry to go into effect, including the termination of existing lawsuits by governmental entities.

The new report by the substance abuse administration, found that only four states - Maine, Florida, New Hampshire and Washington - met the government’s target of having noncompliance rates below 20 percent. A handful of states had noncompliance rates above 60 percent - Louisiana, Connecticut, Kansas and Tennessee.