A recent survey reveals a decrease in sales of tobacco and vaping materials to underage customers.
The Department of Health Services reports that, according to the results of the annual Synar Survey, 11.8% of retailers sold to underage customers, which is down from 13.6% the year prior.
In 2019, the rate was at 5.5%, and it spiked at 14.1% in 2021.
State Health Officer Paula Tran was happy to see the drop, saying, “We know that more than 80% of adult smokers started before the age of 18, and about 95% of them before turning 21. This is why it is so important to continue the work to prevent young people from starting to use commercial tobacco and nicotine products to protect their health today and long into the future.”
The 2024 Synar Survey also noted that the rate of overall underage sales to males was 14.4% and the rate of overall underage sales to females was 9.8%.
Additionally, underage males were most often sold e-cigarettes, while underage females were most often sold cigarillos.
