WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — The Marathon County Health Department marked one year of new federal guidelines that limit the sale of tobacco products to those over the age of 21 on Thursday.
Public Health Educator Jenna Flynn said the department has been providing tobacco retailers with plenty of information, even as they have been learning about the mandate themselves.
“We are all still learning, but it is important for retailers to understand it is a federal mandate and they must comply,” said Flynn. “The majority of our retailers are really good about not selling to minors and we want to continue that.”
Flynn says the county is also working on new informational materials for retailers such as window stickers that remind customers of the new age restrictions. That’s especially important because for so long people have been used to 18-year-olds being able to purchase cigarettes and chew, then being able to purchase alcohol three years later.
That means more training for clerks. “We promote the Wisconsin tobacco check training that is on the DHS website. We also frequently do mailers to get them the information, and we are working on a project now to get them ‘tobacco 21’ window clings.”
It’s unclear how establishments that sell tobacco are enforcing the new age limit. Flynn says when the pandemic hit the department stopped doing tobacco sting operations, but those could resume this summer. So she says until now, retailers have been trusted to comply with the rules on their own.
“Minors are likely still attempting to purchase tobacco so that’s why we are giving retailers, and law enforcement the information that they need.”
Wisconsin’s statutes still don’t line up with the federal rules limiting tobacco to those 21 and older, which means law enforcement is in a tight spot. But she says they hope that the federal laws are the ones enforced.
Flynn says it’s unclear when that could change.
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