Collaborative efforts between Anne Arundel County’s Health Department, Police Department, and Sheriff’s Office have resulted in a significant decrease in illegal tobacco sales to minors.

According to the Anne Arundel County Health Department:

The combination of customized education and targeted enforcement has produced outstanding results.  Compliance checks involve plainclothes officer observing as a participating minor seeks to purchase a tobacco product or electronic cigarette. In the past 12 months, 468 tobacco compliance checks were conducted.  This is an increase of almost 200 percent over the number of checks conducted in fiscal 2015. In the past three years, the percentage of Anne Arundel County tobacco retailers cited for making illegal sales decreased from 21 percent to an all-time low of 10 percent.

Read the full news release and visit the county health department’s website to learn more.