Local stores pass recent tobacco compliance check

In tobacco compliance checks conducted Saturday, November 9th between 3:00PM and 6:00PM, one minor, 16 years old, supervised by the Tobacco Program Coordinator, visited all 26 tobacco vendors in Wakefield.  None of the 26 tobacco retailers sold tobacco products to the underage youth.  In the 26 stores, the clerk asked for an ID and refused to sell cigarettes or small cigars to the minor.

The Health Department and the Tobacco Program would like to thank the retailers of Wakefield for helping to reduce youth access to tobacco.  Now more than ever it is imperative that retailers are not selling tobacco and other nicotine delivery products to our youth. While cigarette use continues to fall, the use of e-cigarettes is booming, especially in youth. These battery-operated devices heat liquid nicotine (often scented) and create a vapor that is inhaled, called “vaping”.

The CDC reported that the percentage of middle and high school students that have tired e-cigarettes has doubled between 2011 and 2012. Electronic cigarettes come in a variety of candy or dessert flavors and often cost a fraction of what traditional cigarettes cost making this product more appealing to children and teens. The contents of many of these new products are not fully known, so we have no way of knowing what is being inhaled or exhaled, and the long-term effects are also not yet known.

Since e-cigarettes are not considered tobacco products, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not currently regulate them under the Tobacco Control Act. However, Martha Coakley, Attorney General of Massachusetts, as well as 39 other state AG’s have signed a bi-partisan letter to the FDA urging them to regulate the sale and use of e-cigarettes. The letter highlights the need to protect youth from becoming addicted to nicotine through these new products. The FDA says that e-cigarettes can potentially hook young people to nicotine and lead them to conventional cigarettes, which are known to cause disease and lead to premature death. In some local communities minors can legally buy e-cigarettes since they are not considered a tobacco product.  However, they do contain nicotine and are addictive just like cigarettes. In the meantime, many Massachusetts towns are taking a stand over the sale and use of e-cigarettes.

Because nicotine is such an addictive substance it is important that kids never start smoking.  We appreciate that our local retailers not only comply with federal, state and local regulations but also understand the importance of helping to reduce youth access.