The purpose of this study was to increase understanding of the prerequisites for tobacco prevention. The situations before and after the introduction of a minimum-age law were compared with respect to opportunities for adolescents to buy tobacco, and to attitudes towards the law. Data were collected in 1996 and 2000 with a questionnaire among all pupils in years 7 and 9 of compulsory school, and among pupils in year 2 of upper-secondary school in three regions of Sweden. Tobacco had become less available from shops, while there was an increase in the proportion of adolescents who buy tobacco from friends. Among smokers the support for this law was higher in 2000 than 1996, while the pattern among non-smokers was not consistent across age-groups or gender. Regardless of smoking habits, age-group and gender, the proportion of adolescents who believed that the law had an effect in reducing smoking had decreased. The changes described in this article are discussed in terms of the different ways available to improve the implementation of the minimum-age law.Read More: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687630500343095

The purpose was 2-fold: first to analyse howcompliance with the minimum-age law of 18for the purchase of tobacco has changed overtime, second to determine what factors affectthe possibility for adolescents to buy cigarettes.Three series (1996, 1999 and 2002) oftest purchases of tobacco were conducted inthree regions of Sweden. Altogether, 36 test purchaserscarried out 1867 test purchases. In1996, 93% of all attempted purchases resultedin the purchase of cigarettes. The correspondingfigures for 1999 were 80% and for 2002 63%.The results indicate significant regional differencesin the test purchasers’ opportunities tobuy cigarettes. This paper demonstrates thatcompliance with the minimum-age law has hadan effect on the ease with which adolescentspurchase cigarettes, and further that such purchasehas become more difficult. The study alsoindicates great potential for local efforts toinduce more retailers to comply with the law.

Background: The purpose was to study possible changes in adolescents' opportunities for purchasing tobacco during the period 1996–2005. The study also investigated regional differences in adolescents' opportunities for purchasing tobacco, and elucidated the efforts by the authorities to affect the compliance with the minimum-age law of 18. Methods: In 1996, 1999, 2002, and 2005, 3150 test purchases of tobacco were conducted in controlled forms by 48 adolescents in three regions of Sweden. In addition, in 2005, 28 structured telephone interviews were conducted with key people in tobacco prevention work. Results: In 1996, 84% of all test purchases in shops with a voluntary age-limit ended with the test purchasers succeeding in purchasing tobacco. This may be compared with 48% in 2005, 8 years after the age-limit law was introduced. The result of the test purchases and of the interviews showed differences between the three regions in compliance and in activities connected with the minimum-age tobacco law. Conclusions: The study shows that the minimum-age law for the purchase of tobacco has had an effect on adolescents' opportunities for purchasing tobacco and that compliance has improved since its introduction in 1997. The result also indicates avenues for further improving compliance with the age-limit law.