CONTACT PERSON: Lisa McKay, Chief, Office of Substance Abuse Services Oakland County Health Division
(248) 858-5107
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 2, 2007
(Oakland County, MI)--Oakland County retailers are making sure tobacco is not sold to underage youth. During recent undercover inspections coordinated by Oakland County Health Division’s Office of Substance Abuse Services (OSAS), the County had a remarkable sale rate of less than 2% -only 1 of 70 retailers visited were willing to sell cigarettes to a minor.
Every year, OSAS completes federally mandated Synar tobacco compliance checks to determine if retailers are willing to sell tobacco products to minors. Teen volunteers attempt to purchase tobacco from various gas stations, restaurants, convenience stores and tobacco specialty shops.
Synar checks are based on a federal law that requires states to prohibit the sale and distribution of tobacco products to minors and conduct random, unannounced inspections each year. Compliance with the federal law is critical to maintaining full funding for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs (SAPT) in our state. If more than 20% of retailers are willing to sell tobacco products to minors in the official inspection, OSAS could lose as much as 40% of federal SAPT block grant funds.
“Every day, more than 6,000 kids smoke a cigarette for the first time. Many of these youth become regular smokers, reporting that tobacco products are easy to access,” states Lisa McKay-Chiasson, Chief, Oakland County Office of Substance Abuse Services.
Prior to the inspections, educational materials and a letter from Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca were distributed to over 500 retailers throughout the county to describe the penalties of selling cigarettes to those under age 18.
“It’s invigorating to see that our prevention efforts are keeping youth tobacco-free. The county’s community coalitions, local law enforcement, and the Health Division should be proud that their work led to this remarkable accomplishment,” commented McKay-Chiasson.
The Oakland County Office of Substance Abuse Services provides regular visits to area schools, community events and businesses, providing education to help deter youth from becoming smokers.
