The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) reports a decrease in the rate at which tobacco and vape retailers sold to underage consumers last year, with annual data showing a decline from 13.6% in 2023 to 11.8% in 2024. These results come from the Synar Survey, an annual statewide assessment of the retailer violation rate. In 2019, the rate was 5.5% and reached its highest point in 2021 when the rate was 14.1%.
“We are glad to see a decline in overall sales of tobacco and vape products to underage kids, yet the rate remains too high,” said State Health Officer and Division of Public Health Administrator Paula Tran. “We know that more than 80% of adult smokers started before the age of 18, and about 95% of them before turning 21. This is why it is so important to continue the work to prevent young people from starting to use commercial tobacco and nicotine products to protect their health today and long into the future.”
