DHS launches campaign to reinforce age 21 Tobacco Law

MADISON, Wis. (WEAU) - The Wisconsin Department of Health Services is launching a public education campaign with one message.

The message: 21 is the minimum legal sales age for tobacco and vape products - no matter what.

The campaign’s importance is underscored by recent Synar Surveys, the annual statewide assessments of the retailer violation rate for underage sale of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, or vapes, according to a media release from Wis. DHS.

According to data provided in the media release from Wis. DHS, the rate at which retailers sold tobacco and nicotine products to underage purchasers was 11.9%, more than double the pre-pandemic rate of 5.5%. The media release says the 2022 rate fell from 14.1% in 2021, the highest rate in over a decade.

“Nearly 7900 Wisconsinites die every year from preventable tobacco-related disease. Young people can become addicted before they are old enough to understand the risks,” Wisconsin Department of Health Services Deputy Secretary, Deb Standridge, said. “Following the Tobacco 21 law can save lives.”

The full media release from Wis. DHS is available HERE.

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