Evaluating the effects of enforcements and fines on youth smoking

Restricting access to retail sources of tobacco and fining minors for possession of tobacco products were evaluated as possible strategies to reduce the rising rates of teenage smoking. Four towns were assigned to enforce both tobacco minimum-age-of sales laws and tobacco possession laws (P). The remaining four towns were assigned to enforce only tobacco minimum-age-of sales laws (NP). Tobacco use among sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students was assessed. White youth who lived in communities with strict enforcement of tobacco sales and possession laws had significantly fewer increases in tobacco use than those living in communities with only moderate enforcement of tobacco sales laws. Public health interventions that involve police fining minors along with very high merchant compliance rates might decrease rates of tobacco use of white youth during a developmental time when they are susceptible to experimentation and use of tobacco products.