Youth Tobacco Sales: Enforcement Efforts and SAMHSA's Synar Regulation Monitoring
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "Youth Tobacco Sales: Enforcement Efforts and SAMHSA's Synar Regulation Monitoring," FFY 2007 Annual Synar Reports, United States Department of Health and Human Services.
2006 was the first year that all 50 states were in compliance with federal rules designed to curb tobacco sales to youth. The report highlights the progressive success of the cigarette sales enforcement program in the U.S., noting that the national average of illegal tobacco sales to minors has dropped since the program's inception from 40.1 percent in fiscal year 1997 to 10.5 percent in fiscal year 2007 -- the lowest rate ever. The key to this success -- not possible with an underground, unregulated product such as marijuana -- has been targeting the regulated merchants who sell tobacco with strict enforcement of laws barring sale to minors.
