UNDATED (WSAU) — New research shows tobacco sales to minors in Wisconsin are on the rise.
According to the 2016 Synar survey of the state, 7.2% of tobacco sales were to minors. That’s up from 6.8% in 2015 and 6.4% in 2014.
Judy Sargent, Public Health Nurse for Lincoln County, believes the increase could be blamed on the popularity of flavored tobacco products and e-cigarettes. It’s also suspected that sales points, like convenience stores, aren’t doing enough to check identification and stop minors from purchasing.
Public health officials say that because three versions of Wisconsin ID’s are currently in circulation, it can be hard for clerks to catch all minors trying to buy tobacco products. Wisconsin still falls under the national average of sales to minors of 10%.
