Number of Retailers That sell Tobacco to Kids Decreasing

Source from:  By MEGAN SCHMIDT The Holland Sentinel Jul 24, 2008 07/25/2008

Ottawa County, MI - The number of retailers who illegally sell tobacco products to minors is decreasing in the Holland area - and Amy Oosterink thinks there are several reasons why. "In our city, our county, our state and nationally, people are making improvements related to smoke-free air," said Oosterink, who is the designated youth tobacco use representative for the Ottawa County Health Department. Oosterink is in charge of the No Cigs for Our Kids campaign, which employs decoys to conduct stings at gas stations, stores and pharmacies to catch clerks selling tobacco products to people under 18. Stings are conducted four times a year at 51 locations in the Holland area, including 14 within city limits, Oosterink said. For the third quarter of the 2007-2008 fiscal year, the No Cigs for Our Kids campaign reported that 9 percent of retailers visited sold tobacco to the minors. That's an improvement from the results from the second quarter, in which 31 percent of Holland retailers sold to teens. "The great number (of sellers) is 0, that would be perfect, but 9 percent is a wonderful success for our county. We're looking at consistency for the future," she said. Oosterink said she thinks the vendor education program that is part of the No Cigs for Our Kids campaign has also been an effective tool for curbing sales to minors. "We talk to the retailers and review the law with them," Oosterink said. "We do that at the end of every quarter where a clerk has received a citation." Other sites that receive vendor education are selected randomly, she said. Many times, the clerk who sold a minor the tobacco won't get a chance to attend vendor education, though, Oosterink said. "There are some no-tolerance policies at some of the retailers," she said. "They do often let those employees go because it is against the law." Sgt. John Darrow of the Holland Police Department said the Ottawa County No Cigs for Our Kids program has been able to pick up where Holland police have had to leave off because funding for tobacco stings can be spotty. "The sad part is we don't have a lot of time to go out and enforce it, but we do get some grants," he said. Even when officers are able to bust clerks for selling cigarettes to minors, it often doesn't make much difference because turnover rates at retail locations are high already. Still, Darrow said he thinks it's important to do whatever it takes to delay teens from starting smoking. "If they are going to start, it's better if it's at a later age when they can make a more informed decision," he said. Enditem