Roughly 87% of Michigan retailers did not sell tobacco to youth under 18 this year, marking the 16th consecutive year vendors have been in compliance with the federal minimum rate of 80%, the Office of Recovery Oriented Systems of Care reported (OROSC).
The 2016 rate represents a 2.8% improvement from last year. The OROSC conducted random unannounced inspections statewide to measure the rate of illegal sales of tobacco to Michigan youth in which a youth inspector tried to buy cigarettes.
If Michigan had fell below 80%, the federal government could cut by 40% a block grant used for substance abuse prevention, which, for Michigan, could have meant $22 million.
