Stopping teens from smoking is a big challenge many communities face today. Many
communities can only watch without action while local businesses continue to sell tobacco
products to minors, even under risk of penalty of law.
Recent studies show that a large percentage of teens today are getting their cigarettes
from stores, mostly gas stations or convenience store. As teens continue to be able to
buy their own cigarettes, more and more communities begin to impose stronger punishments
on merchants who sell to the teens.
One community has experienced success in their attempts to stop the sale of tobacco
products to minors. Woodridge, Illinois, started a program seven years ago which forbade
and strictly punished the sale of tobacco products to minors. The entire program
includes local licensing of vendors, repeated undercover inspections to see if the sale
to minors has stopped, and education programs in schools. Woodridge has become a model
community as other communities are moving to stop teen tobacco use.
A recent national study showed that 36.5% of females, and 40.8% of males buy their
cigarettes from stores, whether it be a gas station or a supermarket. Hopefully, as more
and more merchants see the trouble they face if caught selling to minors, they will stop
selling.
True, tightening down on stores that sell tobacco to minors isn't going to completely
stop the problem of teen tobacco use. Teens continue to get them from other sources.
But it definitely does hamper their efforts. With more education in schools, and perhaps
stronger punishments for teens caught with tobacco, more and more teens will see the
problems with the tobacco usage, and will stop the habit.
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