September 20, 2019 10:10 a.m.
An Oregon Health Authority report on the most recent round of inspections of tobacco sales to minors in Douglas County found that over 12% of retailers inspected illegally sold a tobacco product to someone under age 21.
Information from the Douglas Public Health Network said statewide the report showed mixed results. Overall tobacco sales to people under age 21 decreased from 18% in 2018 to 16 percent this year. The report said despite this improvement, the data showed what health officials called “an alarming change”: The statewide violation rate for little cigars more than doubled, from 13 percent last year to 28 percent in the past year. Little cigars, sometimes called “cigarillos” are popular with youth and come in fruit flavors like Tropical Fusion and Boozy Mango.
Douglas County Public Health Officer Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer said while it is good to see that the overall retail violation rate decreased slightly, violations are still occurring. He said while Douglas County did not have the increase in cigarillo sales violations seen statewide, as few attempts at purchasing those products were made during area facility inspections. Dannenhoffer said the products are available in the county and are “marketed specifically to attract young people”. Over 80 percent of the stores that sell them in Douglas County advertise them for under $1. The flavors and low prices make them very appealing to young people, according to the report.
For e-cigarettes, statewide violation rates held constant with just over one in five retailers selling to a person under age 21. In Douglas County the violation rate dropped from 23 percent to zero, though only one e-cigarette purchase was attempted.
41 retailers were inspected in Douglas County.
In January of 2018, the Oregon Health Authority started enforcing a tobacco sales age of 21, up from 18. An initial evaluation of the law shows it may reduce the number of minors that started smoking.
The list of Oregon tobacco retailers that violated the tobacco sales rules is available on the OHA Public Health Division website: https://www.oregon.gov/oha/PH/DISEASESCONDITIONS/CHRONICDISEASE/HPCDPCONNECTION/TOBACCO/Documents/retail_compliance/Enforcement_results_1819.pdf.
Contact the Douglas Public Health Network for more information.