It s a problem as close as the nearest cigarette vending machine. Today, approximately 3,000 children and young adults under 18 will begin smoking. With easy access to cigarettes and other tobacco products, this group buys over 500 million packs of cigarettes each year.
Studies suggest that adolescent experimentation with tobacco can have serious consequences.
According to the 1991 DHHS National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, most longtime smokers begin using tobacco before they turn 18. The Synar Amendment requires States to develop laws barring the distribution of tobacco products to minors. The legislation, named after its congressional sponsor Mike Synar, emphasizes consistent enforcement, monitoring of retail outlets compliance, and communication of results. The goal of the Synar Amendment is that by fiscal year 2002 a minor attempting to purchase tobacco will be able to do so less than 20 percent of the time. Four States have already achieved rates at or below 20 percent.