Federal/State Program Achieves Dramatic Nationwide Drop in Tobacco Sales to Minors

Date: October 5, 2007
Media Contact: SAMHSA Press Office, 240-276-2130

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced today that sales of tobacco to underage youth have reached all-time lows under the Synar Amendment program—a Federal and state partnership program aimed at ending illegal tobacco sales to minors.

In fact, for the first time, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have achieved a major Synar program goal—an 80 percent compliance rate among tobacco product retailers. This stands in sharp contrast with the situation 10 years ago at the Synar program's inception, when the lowest reported compliance rate was 25 percent.

Click here for the full release.

Check out the report online:
FFY 2006 Annual Synar Reports: State Compliance

Copies may be obtained free of charge by calling SAMHSA's Health Information Network at 1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727). Request inventory number SMA07-4300.

• Contact the SAMHSA Press Office at 240-276-2130 for more information
• Go to SAMHSA's Newsroom
• Check out the related SAMHSA News article: "Retailers Cut
  Cigarette Sales to Youth,"
  (September/October 2005)

• Mind Over Matter: The Brain's Response to Nicotine (PHD807l)
• The NSDUH Report: Past Month Cigarette Use Among Racial and Ethnic Groups
  (Issue 30, 2006) (SR131)
• Tips for Teens: The Truth About Tobacco (PHD633)

• New National Survey Reveals Drug Use Down Among Adolescents in U.S.—Successes in Substance Abuse Recovery Highlighted
• New SAMHSA Report Provides State-Level View of Substance Use and Mental Health
• Youth Drug Use Continues Downward Slide Older Adult Rates of Use Increase

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
1 Choke Cherry Road  |  Rockville, MD 20857  |  1-877-SAMHSA-7 (1-877-726-4727)  |  www.samhsa.gov

The Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the Federal Government's premier source of information about mental health, substance abuse prevention, addictions treatment, and recovery support services.

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