According to data released by SAMHSA, the national retailer violation rate dropped to 16.3 percent in 2001, down from 40.1 percent in 1996.

"It's a good sign that fewer stores are selling cigarettes to children, but we still have a long way to go if we hope to prevent another generation of smokers," said Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. "Keeping tobacco out of the hands of children is one of the keys to preventing the unhealthy habit that too often causes heart disease and cancer later in life. All of us, including retailers, must remain committed to helping our youth make the healthy decision not to smoke."

The data is based on reports submitted by U.S. states under the Synar Amendment. Established in 1992, the federal law requires states and U.S. territories to enact and enforce youth tobacco-access laws; conduct annual random, unannounced inspections of tobacco outlets; achieve negotiated annual retailer-violation targets; and attain a final goal of 20 percent or below for retailer non-compliance.

According to the data, 38 states achieved the overall 20-percent violation rate goal, and 13 states and the District of Columbia achieved their negotiated target rates for 2001. Wisconsin was the only state that failed to meet its negotiated annual violation-rate target.

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