correlates of illegal tobacco sales to minors in texas

Correlates of Illegal Tobacco Sales to Minors in Texas

Liang Y. Liu, Ph.D.Community Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services

Texas Department of State Health [email protected]

Presented at

Abstract Submitted to NCTOH Problem/Objective: This study examines the patterns and correlates of illegal tobacco

sales to minors in Texas and addresses the adequacy of state-conducted retailer inspection survey used to gather this information. The survey conducted ensures compliance with the Synar Regulation.

Methods: Data from the 2004 Texas Synar Survey using a stratified two-stage cluster sampling of statewide licensed tobacco retailers were evaluated. Non-zero probability selection was assured at each sampling stage. Sixty-five minor decoys (aged 14 to 17) under supervision of adult escort completed 971 on-site inspections in 19 dispersed areas. Survey variables include the inspection time/date, minor, clerk, and store characteristics.

Results: The 2004 retailer noncompliance rate in Texas was 15.5% (s.e.=1.3%). Clerks requested identification in 81% of purchase attempts. When they did not ask for identification, minors completed 43 times more sales (73.5% vs. 1.7%, p<0.0001). 79% of stores posted warning signs about underage purchase of tobacco, and stores without signs were more likely to sell tobacco to minors (24.4% vs. 13.3%, p<0.0001). Odds of sales were significantly higher for males, 16-17 year olds, clerks perceived younger than 25, and convenience stores versus others. We see no variation of violation rates by clerks’ gender and inspection time. Further logistic regression revealed that the strongest predictors of illegal sales to minors were clerks’ failure to request identification or age.

Conclusion: The findings help identify merchant compliance problems and indicate the laws prohibiting illegal tobacco sales to minors should be imposed on getting all merchants to request identification before all sales.

2004 Texas Synar Survey

What is Synar Regulation

Synar Amendment July 1992 States required to enact and enforce laws prohibiting

sale or distribution of tobacco products to minors

Goal to reduce the number of successful illegal purchases by minors to 20% in each state within a negotiated time period

States required to conduct random, unannounced inspections to assess compliance with the law

States required to submit an annual report to Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP)

Noncompliant States lose a percentage of its federal block grant funds for substance abuse treatment and prevention


Texas Synar System Overview

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Community of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Section (responsible for conducting statewide Synar survey and submitting the annual report) Office of Tobacco Prevention and Control

Texas State University Center for Safe Communities and Schools (CSCS) Texas Statewide Tobacco Education and Prevention (STEP)


Texas Synar Tobacco Outlet Inspection Survey

Using minors (ages 14-17) to conduct inspections of tobacco

outlets within survey areas. Recruitment and selection of minors are demographically matched for the area being inspected

Training and technical assistance for local law enforcement and community members are provided

Inspection timeline is June-July of each year

Required information for Synar survey: Data and time of inspection Location of outlet Age/gender of minor used Status of inspection Attempted purchase outcome

Weights are used for the retailer violation rate estimates to reflect the statewide outlet populations


Sampling Frame

A list sampling frame of OTC tobacco outlets is used for Texas Synar survey

Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts provides statewide database of licensed tobacco retailers License renewed every two years (even year) List includes information of outlet TaxID, permit

number, name of outlet, address (street, city, and zip code), county name, and adult-bar (yes/no)

Overall, 92% of the 2004 sampling frame was accurate in terms of actually selling tobacco products and/or accurate address


Sampling Methodology

About 23,220 tobacco outlets across 254 counties in Texas are eligible for sampling

Rationale of sampling: Non-zero probability of selection to all outlets in the state Spread the sample out both literally by geography and by

demographic status Use stratification and other efficiency measures to

minimize any major increase in complexity and cost

A stratified two-stage cluster sampling design is developed Stage I: selection of counties or Primary Sampling Units (PSUs) Stage II: selection of outlets within each selected county


Sampling Methodology (Continued)

PSUs are stratified according to the number of tobacco outlets by county. A total of ten strata are formed: A1-A7: counties with > 500 outlets (self-representing) B: counties with 100-500 outlets C: counties with 26-99 outlets D: counties with < 26 outlets

Select 6 counties in stratum B, 4 counties in stratum C, and 2 counties in stratum D by systematic or PPS sampling

Sample allocation across strata is based on proportional allocation method

SRS is used to select outlets from each selected county. Except for stratum D (all outlets are taken), the sample design is an “equal probability of selection for each element” design not only within each stratum but also across strata


Location of 19 Sampled Counties


Stratum Selected County

A1 HARRIS

A2 DALLAS

A3 TARRANT

A4 BEXAR

A5 TRAVIS

A6 HIDALGO

A7 EL PASO

B MCLENNAN

B WEBB

B FORT BEND

B TAYLOR

B JEFFERSON

B DENTON

C ATASCOSA

C COOKE

C UPSHUR

C JONES

D GAINES

D YOAKUM

Texas: 254 counties/PSU clusters

Survey Inspection Results: Tobacco Retailer Violation Rate


2004 Texas Synar Survey Estimates

Unweighted Retailer Violation Rate 15.1%

Weighted Retailer Violation Rate 15.5%

Standard Error 1.3%

Two-sided 95% Confidence Interval [13.0%, 18.1%]

Design Effect 1.3

Accuracy Rate (unweighted) 91.9%

Accuracy Rate (weighted) 92.0%

Completion Rate (unweighted) 96.4%

Sample Size for Current Year

Original Sample Size 1,096

Eligible Sample Size 1,007

Final Sample Size 971

Sample Outlets in Violation 147

Sample Ineligibility and Noncompletion


Disposition Description Count Subtotal

Eligible and inspection complete outlet 971

Total (Eligible Completes) 971

In operation but closed at time of visit 22

Unsafe to access 10

Youth inspector knows salesperson 4

Total (Eligible Noncompletes) 36

Out of Business 17

Does not sell tobacco products 8

Inaccessible by youth 41

Unlocatable 23

Total (Ineligibles) 89

Total Original Sample Outlet 1,096

Inspection Results by Youth Inspector Characteristics


Gender AgeNumber of Inspectors

Attempted Buys

Successful Buys

Male 14 10 142 8

15 13 161 18

16 8 88 18

17 4 73 34

Subtotal 35 464 78

Female 14 8 157 18

15 9 177 22

16 7 87 11

17 6 86 18

Subtotal 30 507 69

Grand Total 65 971 147

Composition of Successful Buys (147)

11

37

110

49

98

136

144

3

0 40 80 120 160

No Warning Sign Posted

Warning Signs Posted

Didn't Ask for ID

Asked for ID

Didn't Ask for Age

Asked for Age

Other Type of Stores

Convenience Stores


Retailer Violation Rate by Sampling Stratum

12.4% 12.6%

28.0%

22.2%

0.0%

5.0%

10.0%

15.0%

20.0%

25.0%

30.0%

Stratum A Stratum B Stratum C Stratum D

Statewide Rate: 15.5%


Retailer Violation Rate by Compliance and Demographic Variable

3% 2%

17%17%

24% 24% 27%

11%13% 14% 13%

74%

Yes No Yes No Yes No 14-15 16-17 Males Females <=24 >=25

Salesclerk Asked for

Age

Salesclerk Asked for

ID

Warning Signs

Posted

Minor’s Age

Minor’s Gender

Salesclerk’s Age


Crude Odds Ratios (OR) of Retailer Violation Rate by Variable


Variables Crude OR 95% C.I. Time of Inspection P.M. 1.00 - A.M. 1.06 0.98 to 1.14 Type of Outlets Other Outlets 1.00 - Convenience Stores 1.21 * 1.11 to 1.31 Minor's Age Age 14-15 1.00 -

Age 16-17 2.61 * 2.43 to 2.80 Minor's Gender Females 1.00 - Males 1.23 * 1.15 to 1.32 Clerk's Age Age >= 25 1.00 -

Age <= 24 2.43 * 2.25 to 2.64 Clerk's Gender Females 1.00 -

Males 0.93 0.87 to 1.00 Clerk Asked for Age Yes 1.00 -

No 5.58 * 4.38 to 7.10 Clerk Asked for ID Yes 1.00 -

No 162.27 * 142.76 to 184.44 A Warning Sign Posted Yes 1.00 -

No 2.11 * 1.95 to 2.28 * Statistically signif icant at p < .0001; Odds ratio w as based on Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel statistics.

Impacts on Successful Buys: A Logistic Regression Analysis


Indep. Variables #

Odds Ratio

Wald Chi-Square

Inspection in A.M. 1.08 0.024

Outlet Type - Convenience Stores 3.47 ss 4.913

Minor Aged 16-17 2.88 ss 5.139

Male Minor 0.62 1.072

Anglo Minor 1.18 0.136

Clerk Aged <= 24 7.73 ss 13.046

Male Clerk 0.72 0.461

Clerk's Failure to Ask for Age 292.71 ss 55.838

Clerk's Failure to Ask for ID >999.99 ss 151.179

No Warning Sign Posted 1.69 1.028 # The reference group for predictors: inspection in P.M., other type of outlets, minors aged 14-15, female minors, non-Anglo minors, clerks aged >=25, female clerks, clerks did ask for age, clerks did ask for ID, and a w arning sign being posted. SS: Statistically Signif icant.

Conclusion and Recommendation

The 2004 retailer noncompliance rate in Texas was 15.5%. Clerks requested ID in 81% of purchase attempts, and 79% of stores posted warning signs about underage purchase of tobacco

Survey findings showed that the strongest predictors of illegal sales to minors were clerk’s failure to request ID or age

Laws prohibiting illegal tobacco sales to minors should be imposed on getting all merchants to request ID before all sales


correlates of illegal tobacco sales to minors in texas

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