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For Immediate Release
November 16, 2023
Contact: Elizabeth Goodsitt/Jennifer Miller 608-266-1683
Wisconsin Underage Tobacco, Vape Sales Rise in 2023
?Increase in underage sales linked to confusion between federal and state law, public health officials continue to build awareness and compliance?
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reports that underage tobacco and vape sales increased to 13.6% in 2023 from 11.9% in 2022. These are the results of the Synar Survey, an annual statewide assessment of the retailer violation rate for underage sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. In 2019, the rate was 5.5% and reached its highest point in 2021 when the rate was 14.1%. On average, underage tobacco and vape sales have increased 140% since 2019.?
?Every year in Wisconsin, commercial and tobacco nicotine products cause 7,900 deaths, result in more than $3 billion in health care expenses, and cause more than $5.6 billion in lost productivity for our economy,? said DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson. ?We know that nearly all people who use commercial tobacco and nicotine start using in their teens and young adulthood. In fact, if a person doesn?t start by age 25, they almost never will. This data shows that we must continue the work to prevent young people from starting to use commercial tobacco and nicotine products.?
View the entire news release.
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