Does raising the minimum legal age for cigarette purchases reduce youth access? Early evidence from New York City

Background: New York City raised the legal minimum purchase age for tobacco products from 18 to 21 years effective August 1^st, 2014. This study measures compliance with this and other laws regulating tobacco retailers before and after this change.

Data and Methods: Youthfully dressed female investigators just above legal age were deployed February-March 2014 and September –December 2014 to purchase cigarettes from 420 randomly selected vendors throughout NYC, stratified by borough. When purchasing, investigators observed whether vendors requested ID prior to the sale, as well as the purchase price, the presence of exterior advertising, whether tobacco products were kept behind the counter, and the presence of required age and tax stamp signs. OLS and multivariable Poisson regression techniques model pre and post-law compliance with ID checks and assess purchase price, controlling for vendor type, location and compliance with other laws.

Results:  Compliance with mandatory ID checks declined 9% (p<0.01) and average prices declined by $0.20 (p<0.01) after the law changed. Compared to franchise stores, independent retailers had significantly higher likelihood of non-compliance with all laws. Vendors with higher compliance with other laws were also more likely to check ID.

Conclusion:  Additional attention to policy implementation and enforcement of tobacco retail sales laws is necessary to realize the full potential of the changes to minimum age purchase laws and to address retailer strategies that may compensate for lost revenue.