Official says restricting access to minors is the key
By Ed Nadolski
Editor in Chief
Retailers in western Racine County illegally sold tobacco products to minors at numbers greater than their counterparts on the east side of the county, according to compliance checks conducted in 2012 by WI Wins.
Information released this week by Jacqueline Sieracki, coordinator for WI Wins in Racine, Kenosha and Walworth Counties, indicates that of the 40 businesses checked in western Racine County, six (or 15 percent) sold tobacco products to persons younger than 18.
During similar checks of tobacco retailers in the City of Racine and Village of Caledonia, seven of 79 (9 percent) sold tobacco products to minors.
Overall, 13 of the 119 retailers checked in the county in 2012 illegally sold tobacco to minors, a rate of 11 percent. That number is up slightly from 2011 when 15 out of 163 retailers (9 percent) sold to minors.
While the long-term trend in tobacco use by minors continues to decline, Sieracki said there is still “much work to be done.” The focus remains on retailers, she said, because they are the first line of defense against minors using tobacco.
“The retailers who sell tobacco products in our community have an opportunity to take action as the first line of defense against illegal tobacco sales to our youth,” Sieracki said. “This can be achieved through the education and training of their employees about the law and the procedure of asking for and properly checking the ID’s by taking the time to read the ID’s for all tobacco purchases.”
The compliance checks, conducted by teen volunteers working with local law enforcement agencies, are intended to serve more of an educational purpose than a punitive one.
Businesses that fail the compliance checks a first time are issued a warning. Those that have subsequent failures are issued a citation.
Among the six Western Racine County retailers that failed compliance checks in 2012, only one of them was a repeat offender. That occurred in the Village of Waterford and a citation was issued.
Here is a breakdown of the compliance checks conducted in the county during 2012:
• City of Burlington – 13 businesses checked with two failures (both first offenses).
• Town of Burlington – One business checked with one failure (first offense).
• Village of Caledonia –14 businesses checked with four failures (all first offenses).
• Town of Dover –
Threes businesses checked with no failures.
• Town of Norway – Four businesses checked with one failure (first offense).
• City of Racine – 65 businesses check with three failures.
• Village of Rochester – One business checked with no failure.
• Village of Union Grove – Seven businesses checked with no failures.
• Village of Waterford – Eight businesses checked with two failures (one first offense, one second offense – citation issued).
• Town of Yorkville – Three businesses checked with no failures.
While educating the retailers who failed compliance checks is a goal of WI Wins, Sieracki said it’s equally important to congratulate those who do not sell to minors.
“This approach provides community pride by reducing youth access to tobacco products and (gives) youth a chance to make a difference in the community,” she said.
Established in 2002, the WI Wins campaign is a science-based, state-level initiative designed to decrease youth access to tobacco products by reducing illegal sales by retailers. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services contracts with local partners on the campaign.
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