Seattle tobacco retailers were caught selling tobacco to underage minors 15 percent of the time in 2011. This marks an alarming jump of twice the 7-percent sales rate over the previous five years in the city.

Overall, there were 70 sales (from 63 establishments) to minors across Seattle over 468 retailer inspections this year.

Illegal sales of tobacco to minors have doubled throughout King County over the same period, from an average of six percent between 2006 and 2010 to 12 percent in 2011.

In Washington State, selling tobacco to a minor is prohibited by law and results in a fine for retailers of $100 for the first offense and they are educated about selling tobacco responsibly. The fine for a clerk is $50. Repeat offenders within a two year window are fined up to $1,500 and may have their license to sell tobacco products suspended.

Retailers refusing to sell tobacco to minors are congratulated in person and given an information packet. Public Health’s Tobacco Prevention Program will continue to focus inspections on previous offenders in the upcoming year.

“We’ve made progress over the past 10 years in reducing the impact of tobacco addiction in our community, but we need to keep this good work going,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director of Public Health – Seattle & King County. “As funding for proven tobacco prevention programs is eliminated statewide, the tobacco industry continues to find new ways to market products that appeal to kids.”

The tobacco industry has responded to tougher federal regulations around the marketing and advertising of cigarettes with new tobacco products that are attractive to youth, such as dissolvable tobacco that closely resembles gum, candy and breath strips, and cigars, cigarillos and snus (teabag-like pouches of tobacco) in flavors such as peach, chocolate, strawberry and grape.

Sales of tobacco to teens are a high concern because most adult tobacco addictions start in youth; 90 percent of smokers became addicted before they were 19 years old. Overall, about a third of all kids who become regular smokers before adulthood will eventually die from smoking. Tobacco use is the leading cause of death in King County, leading to 1,990 deaths per year and $343 million in medical care costs, lost productivity and other expenses.

Retailer compliance checks are conducted throughout the year by Public Health and the Washington State Liquor Control Board, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) due to new federal laws around tobacco and cigarettes. Anyone who witnesses a merchant or other adults providing tobacco to a minor is encouraged to call Public Health’s Tobacco Prevention Program at 206-296-7613 to file a confidential complaint or text the information to 206-745-2548.

For more information about tobacco prevention, please visit Public Health – Seattle & King County’s web site at www.kingcounty.gov/health/tobacco.

Providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services for over 1.9 million residents and visitors of King County, Public Health – Seattle & King County works for safer and healthier communities for everyone, every day. More at www.kingcounty.gov/health.