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. 1998 Jun;88(6):936–939. doi: 10.2105/ajph.88.6.936

Laying down the law: reducing illegal tobacco sales to minors in central Harlem.

D H Gemson 1, H L Moats 1, B X Watkins 1, M L Ganz 1, S Robinson 1, E Healton 1
PMCID: PMC1508216  PMID: 9618624

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study compared the impact of educational and enforcement interventions on retailers' sale of tobacco to minors in Central Harlem, New York. METHODS: In a randomized trial with repeated measures, 152 stores were randomly divided into control, education, and enforcement groups. RESULTS: Overall tobacco sales to 12- and 13-year-old minors at baseline (98%) were among the highest in the nation. At 6-month and 1-year follow-ups, decreases in rates of tobacco sales to minors were modest among education stores and substantial among enforcement stores. CONCLUSIONS: Effective reduction of tobacco sales to minors may require ongoing enforcement measures, including fines for retailers who violate state and local laws.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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