Sales Increase Nationally for Tobacco Sales to Minors

The Substance and Mental Health Services Administration reports that although illegal tobacco sales to youth have decreased during the past 13 years, 2009 saw the first slight increase in sales to minors.

All states and the District of Columbia have continued to meet their goals of curtailing sales of tobacco to underage youth under 18. However, in federal fiscal year 2009, for the first time ever, the data showed a slight increase in the average national rate of tobacco sales to underage youth of about one percent.

The Synar Amendment requires that states have laws and enforcement programs for prohibiting the sale and distribution of tobacco to people younger than 18. The program is part of SAMHSA’s Strategic Initiatives on promoting emotional health and preventing substance abuse and mental illness.

Under the regulations implementing the Synar Amendment, states and other jurisdictions must report annually to SAMHSA on their retailer violation rates, which represent the percentage of inspected retail outlets that sold tobacco products to customers younger than 18.

Download the report.