Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113472

Nichelle Brown, MPH¹, Christopher M. Kippes, MS², Marcita Peak, MPA¹, Najeebah Shine, MS, RD, LD¹, Lisa Isham, MS, RD, LD¹, Tim Gallagher, RS², and Katie Fox, MS². (1) Community Health Services, Cuyahoga County Board of Health, 5550 Venture Drive, Parma, OH 44130, 216-201-2001 ext. 1506, nbrown@ccbh.net, (2) Epidemiology and Surveillance, Cuyahoga County Board of Health, 5550 Venture Dr., Parma, OH 44130

Background: In 2001, The Comprehensive Partnership for Tobacco Reduction (CPTR) was established to develop a model for a comprehensive community action plan to reduce tobacco use in Cuyahoga County (Cleveland, Ohio). This plan included conducting compliance checks, unannounced inspections of tobacco vendors, as a method to monitor compliance with Ohio's youth access laws.

Methods: Teens, 14-16 years old were trained and paired with an adult to attempt to purchase tobacco products. Municipality mayors received letters prior to the inspections. After the checks were completed, inspected vendors received a follow-up letter and packet of resources (e.g. copy of the law, information to train employees and store signage to discourage underage sales). In 2001, 249 sites were randomly selected throughout the county. During 2003 and 2004, a portion of the initially inspected sites were revisited as well as randomly selected sites not previously inspected.

Results: During 2001, 2003, and 2004, five compliance checks encompassing 1,205 inspections were completed. During this time period, overall vendor noncompliance was 15.9%. There was a significant reduction (p < 0.002) in noncompliance from 23.3% (2001) to 13.7% (2003). Differences were not significant from 2003 to 2004 (14.1%). Vendors who did not ask for proof of age were 23 times more likely to sell to the youths compared to those that did ask.

Conclusions: The distribution of the Tobacco Master Settlement funds (which also began in 2001) provided a means to significantly enhance local tobacco reduction programming and may be directly associated with this significant decrease.

Learning Objectives:

• To be able to describe an effective approach to monitoring compliance with Ohio’s youth access laws.
• To understand the importance of ascertaining proof of age as it relates to the purchasing of tobacco products.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.