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August 6, 2002
Tobacco sales to minors are among the lowest in the nation. The
sales decreased compared to last year in Hawaii according to the
Department of Health’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division (ADAD).
The joint program with the University of Hawaii’s Cancer Research
Center of Hawaii and ADAD monitors the State’s compliance with
the Synar Regulation of the federal Public Health Service Act of
1993.
Director of Health, Bruce Anderson said, "This is our 7th
annual survey. We have watched the rates of noncompliance drop from 43%
(1996) to 6% (2002). We've worked hard on this issue because we are so
concerned about the health of our children and youth and we now have
one of the lowest rates in the nation. This is due to an aggressive,
engaging anti-smoking campaign with rap music, extensive merchant
education, and a print campaign launched this year that recognizes
local merchants who complied and did not comply with the illegal sales
to minors law."
The Synar Regulation, a federal mandate requires each state to
document a rate of tobacco sales to minors of no more than 20% or risk
losing millions in federal funds for alcohol and other drug abuse
prevention and treatment services.
The Hawaii Year 2002 survey found that 6.0% of the stores inspected,
in the scientifically based random sample of retail outlets throughout
the State, sold cigarettes to minors, down from the previous year's
7.7%. The rates for the City and County of Honolulu decreased from 7%
last year to 4% this year. Kauai and Maui County rates of sales, which
were at 10% and 11% respectively last year, decreased to 0.0% this
year, while the Big Island's rate which was 10% last year increased to
25% this year.
In the Spring of 2002, teams made up of youth volunteers (ages 15
-17) and adult observers visited a random sample of 249 stores in which
the youth attempted to buy cigarettes to determine how well retailers
were complying with the State tobacco laws.
By County - Year 2002 results of random unannounced Synar
inspections are as follows:
|
County
|
# of Stores Inspected |
# of Stores that Sold |
Non-Compliance Rate |
|
Honolulu
|
168 |
7 |
4% |
|
Hawaii
|
32 |
8 |
25% |
|
Kauai
|
14 |
0 |
0% |
| Maui |
35 |
0 |
0% |
|
TOTAL
|
249 |
15 |
6% |
There were four significant factors that helped to decrease the
purchase of tobacco products: 1)If the clerk asked for identification;
2) If the clerk asked for identification or age of purchaser; 3) If any
tobacco educational material were posted and 4) the gender of the buyer
as males were more likely buying tobacco products.
Hawaii State Law prohibits tobacco sales to persons under the age of
18. Merchants convicted of selling to minors face a mandatory fine of
$500.
In addition to the Synar Regulation inspections, the DOH, in
cooperation with all four County Police Departments and the Cancer
Research Center of Hawaii, has a program to enforce the State statue.
Every outlet in the State that sells tobacco is inspected at least once
a year, and often twice. The enforcement program uses teenagers between
the ages of 15 and 17, carrying identification, who attempt to purchase
cigarettes under the supervision of an undercover police officer.
There were 1,229 retail outlets throughout the State of Hawaii
visited from May of 2001 to March of 2002. 17.6% of the outlets (216
stores) sold to minors (ages 15-17) who showed valid identification if
asked for it. This is a substantial decrease from last year’s
noncompliance rate of 26.1% (2001). By County, the results of the
police-assisted inspections were as follows:
|
County
|
# of Stores Inspected |
# of Stores that Sold |
Non-Compliance Rate |
|
Honolulu
|
773 |
129 |
16.70% |
|
Hawaii
|
172 |
47 |
27.30% |
|
Kauai
|
126 |
16 |
12.70% |
|
Maui
|
158 |
24 |
15.20% |
|
TOTAL
|
1229 |
216 |
17.60% |
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