CHANGES AMONG RETAILERS SELLING CIGARETTES TO MINORS

This study analyzes changes over a three-period among Ontario retailer s selling cigarettes to minors. Under supervision, 13 and 14-year-old minors were sent into stores to attempt to buy cigarettes. These minor -purchase-events (MPEs) were carried out in a local health unit that h ad implemented a community-based intervention and in an adjoining comp arison health unit. After the local program we observed a large reduct ion (from 46% to 6%) in merchants willing to sell tobacco to minors. I n the neighbouring health unit, a high rate of selling continued until a federal program using a similar intervention was implemented, after which a large reduction (from 47% to 2%) was observed. This magnitude of change has been unprecented, except when active enforcement was im plemented by police officers. Thus, from a public health perspective, it is important to understand what is influencing the store operators.