Tobacco sales to minors: Crossing the gender boundary

Tobacco consumption causes an enormous amount of health problems, sometimes resulting in suffering and related deaths in the United States and around the world. Research suggests that most adult smokers began smoking before their 18th birthday with the average age of smoking initiation at 14.5 years of age. More than half of all youth smokers usually buy the cigarettes they smoke, either directly from retailers or vending machines, from other kids, or by giving money to others to buy for them. Therefore, retail clerks become a gatekeeper to tobacco access for minors. Over the years, the proportion of smokers who are male and female have changed, this drug knows no gender boundary. Today, smoking rates among males and females in high school are almost equal. In this study we will look at current tobacco retail outlet sales trends among male and female tobacco inspection assistants in Indiana over the last 6 years. We will examine the strength of association between the gender of an inspection assistant and the sale of tobacco products to minors. Data will be analyzed from the Indiana Tobacco Retailer Inspection Program (TRIP). TRIP has conducted over 30,000 retail outlet inspections since 2001. Male and female youth ages 15 – 17 enter retail outlets and attempt to purchase tobacco using a standardized protocol. The results will assist prevention providers in better understanding youth access to tobacco and provide the necessary data to tailor education programs to have the broadest effect on reducing sales to minors around the world.