Violators that sell
tobacco to minors
called out in print

Isle officials hope that their
campaign gets more
stores to comply

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Star-Bulletin staff

The state Department of Health has started publishing results of monthly inspections of tobacco sales to minors in newspapers statewide. The ad will list stores where cashiers failed the inspection and sold tobacco products to minors, as well as those stores where cashiers passed inspection. The new campaign's objective is to increase public awareness of youth access to tobacco products and to reduce the noncompliance rate.

"Reducing the access of sale of tobacco products to minors is key to deterring tobacco use by children," said Health Director Bruce Anderson.

"We hope this new campaign will step up our efforts to protect Hawaii's youth from the harmful effects of tobacco use," said Anderson.

Hawaii laws prohibit the sale of tobacco products to minors. Since 1996 the state Department of Health, police and the University of Hawaii Cancer Research Center have been conducting monthly inspections to monitor which merchants sell tobacco to minors.

Inspections involved minors who attempted to buy tobacco products at stores statewide under the supervision of a police officer. Despite the inspection of about 100 stores per month, the rate of tobacco sales to minors remains at an average rate of 20 to 24 percent, the Health Department said.

"These noncompliance rates are alarming," said Anderson. "We cannot allow the illegal sale of tobacco products to minors to continue and must all work together to prevent youth access to tobacco products. We applaud those merchants who pass inspection and refuse to sell tobacco illegally to minors. Further, we encourage merchants to take measures to increase their vigilance against selling tobacco to the youth of Hawaii."

Nearly 90 percent of smokers started smoking before 18, according to Julian Lipsher, director of the Health Department's Tobacco Prevention and Education Project.

The Health Department would like to collaborate with merchants to reduce the noncompliance rate to about 10 percent per month this year. New printed materials will be distributed statewide to assist merchants in training employees. The department will also provide hands-on training for merchants and their employees.

For more information on retail merchant education and training programs or on tobacco prevention and youth, contact the state Department of Heath Tobacco Prevention and Education Project at 586-4613.