Tobacco sale no minor deal

19 local businesses fail compliance checks

By MARTHA O’CONNOR

Bellefontaine Examiner

Staff Writer

A random compliance check of businesses selling tobacco to underage teens in Logan County showed a significant increase over incidents from the previous year. 

Youth interns hired by the Miami Valley Health Improvement Council, working in conjunction with Nicki Trout of the Logan County Health Department coordinated tobacco compliance checks in the county June 17 and June 19. 

A total of 47 businesses were visited in Bellefontaine, DeGraff, Quincy, West Liberty and the Indian Lake area and 19 packs of tobacco were purchased by the teens, all of whom are under the age of 18, the age set by the state of Ohio in order to buy tobacco products. 

The youths purchased tobacco from 12 stores without being asked for proof of age.  Seven locations sold the tobacco even after seeing driver’s licenses on which red ink indicates the date when the holder turns 19.

The result shows 40 percent of the businesses sold  to underage teens.  A similar compliance check conducted last summer by many of the same teens showed 29 percent of businesses solicited sold tobacco to underage teens. 

Twenty-eight locations refused to sell to the interns because they were under age. 

The interns who participated include Abby Brose, 16, a junior at Benjamin Logan High School; Anabel Calderon, 16, a junior at Bellefontaine High School; Angela Corwin, 17, a junior at Indian Lake High School; and Alyssa Klingler, 17, a senior at Riverside High School.  Forrest Clayton is also a member of the intern team, however, he did not take part in the check. 

The compliance check is just one of the projects the interns are working on to spread the dangers of tobacco.  They have been giving programs to county youth groups, they set up information booths at Our Daily Bread and the Relay for Life and will share information at the Logan County Fair.  They assisted with a smoking cessation program at the Logan County Health Department and attended legislative breakfast events to lobby representatives for new laws prohibiting smoking such as the Smoke Free Ohio issue that they anticipate being on the ballot in November. 

“We’re trying to do something to stop the use of tobacco, just trying to make a difference,” said Anabel about her involvement in the program. 

The project involves a follow-up letter to each of the businesses letting them know how their employees reacted in the compliance check.

SOURCE:  www.examiner.org