Tobacco Control Compliance Check Program

The Tobacco Control program started by the Southwest Utah Public Health Department invites retail store owners to partner with the Health Department. The role of the Health Department is to offer education classes in addition to in-store training to clerks. Trained underage youth are then sent in to each store to attempt to purchase tobacco products. The youth carry a recording device that monitors the interaction with the clerk and this recording can be used in case of any dispute. If a sale is made, the officer then cites the clerk and a fine is levied. The overall goal of our program is to produce a "zero sale" result in each of our retail establishments every time a compliance check is conducted. Our objectives in accomplishing this goal are to 1) provide consistent and effective tobacco retailer education classes to all retail stores, 2) perform quarterly compliance checks and 3) Negotiate the lowering or elimination of fines for stores who actively participate in classes.

The goal of the program is to reduce the tobacco buy rate to minors. To accomplish this, the program aims to produce a "zero sale" result in each of the retail establishments every time a compliance check is conducted.

All participating retail stores are checked four times a year. Eighty six percent of stores have participated in retailer education classes. The tobacco buy rate to minors was over 20 percent in 2001. After the program was implemented, the minor buy rate was reduced to four percent.