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Restricting Minors’ Access to Tobacco Products: Active Enforcement of Sales Laws Directed at Retailers When Used Alone

Active enforcement is used to achieve and maintain retailer compliance with laws banning tobacco sales to minors. This enforcement consists of periodic unannounced checks, which employ recruited, supervised minors to make attempts to purchase tobacco products from retailers and vending machines.

Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings

The Community Preventive Services Task Force finds insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of active enforcement of sales laws when implemented alone in reducing youth access to tobacco because only one qualifying study was identified and it did not provide measurements of youth tobacco use or purchase behaviors.

Task Force Finding

Results from the Systematic Reviews

Only one study qualified for the review.

  • Evaluated the effect of an enforcement campaign on the sale of single cigarettes by tobacco retailers in New York City.
  • Number of retailers willing to sell tobacco to youth: reduction of 47.7 percentage points
  • Youth tobacco use or purchase behaviors: not measured

These findings were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to tobacco use.

Economic Review

An economic review of this intervention was not conducted because the Task Force found insufficient evidence to determine its effectiveness.

Supporting Materials

Publications

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Tobacco. Adobe PDF File [PDF - 3.63KB] In : Zaza S, Briss PA, Harris KW, eds. The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health? Atlanta (GA): Oxford University Press;2005:3-79.

More Community Guide publications about Tobacco Use



Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions on this page are those of the Community Preventive Services Task Force and do not necessarily represent those of CDC.

Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Restricting minors’ access to tobacco products: active enforcement of sales laws directed at retailers. www.thecommunityguide.org/tobacco/restrictingaccess/enforcementsaleslaws.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.

Review completed: June 2001