Youth Access: Above and Beyond Local Licensing

Audience: This session will benefit local public health, nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and local decision makers who are working to enact or have recently adopted tobacco licensing requirements.  Key Points: 1. Reducing youth access to tobacco (YATT) is a proven youth tobacco prevention strategy. Local tobacco retail licensing laws are the first step in reducing YATT. However, to be effective, regular coordination of vendor compliance and enforcement activities is necessary. Law Enforcement needs the support of local public health agencies to regularly check compliance.  A paid compliance check coordinator provides assistance, guidance, and support to enforcement agencies.  2. For the past 15 years in Ramsey County, Minnesota a compliance check coordinator has conducted underage buyer training, standardized law enforcement protocol, vendor compliance training, and communication of compliance rates with the community and decision makers.  This model has resulted in 90% average compliance rate during this period. 3.  By having all parties (local government, licensing authority, law enforcement, vendors and youth) following the same protocol for their role, we can improve and maintain strong compliance rates.     Educational Experience: The audience will see examples of vendor trainings and hear lessons learned from the field that will assist participants in implementing tobacco compliance programming in their community. Benefits: The attendees will leave convinced that enforcing YATT laws is a worthwhile tobacco control strategy.  They will also leave the session with information and materials that they can tailor to their own community needs.     .