Underage Teens Buy Cigarettes in Undercover OperationNew Food and Drug Administration regulations to protect children and youth from tobacco became effective February 28, 1997. The new regulation prohibits the sale of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco to anyone under 18 and requires retailers to check photo ID's for anyone under age 27.
Although the FDA regulations face a certain court challenge from the tobacco industry, Jane Warga, director of the Board of Health education and assessment unit, won't wait until the rules take effect before monitoring tobacco sales to minors in Mahoning County. For the last two years Ms. Warga and a team of young volunteers have made undercover buys in more than half the stores visited by the teens. In 1995, 60 percent of vendors sold tobacco to the teens. The number dropped to 53 percent in 1996.
These new provisions should reduce the number of stores that sell tobacco to youth, according to Ms. Warga, since store owners could face a $2,000 fine and the clerk who sells the tobacco could face a $200 fine and 30 days in jail. She is planning more compliance checks in 1997 to assess the vendor education efforts.