Controlling Youth Access to Tobacco
The Woodridge Story                                (back to home page)
In 1989, Sergeant Bruce R. Talbot wrote the first tobacco vendor license law in America with a provision which suspended a merchant's tobacco license for sales to minors. To monitor compliance with the age restrictions on tobacco and liquor, Sergeant Talbot has supervise police "sting operations" where an under age minor is employed by the police as a police special agent. A strict written police policy is followed to ensure Supreme Court guidelines are followed and that the compliance test is fair to liquor and tobacco merchants. This innovative law and procedure has been held up as a national model by the US Department of Health and Human Services and has won numerous awards and recognition.

What are the benefits of enforcing a vendor license law?

  • Illegal sales of age restricted tobacco products were reduced from 83% to back-to-back zero percent.*
  • Adolescent smoking rates were reduced 70%.*
  • Marijuana exposure rates were significantly reduced proving the "Gateway Drug" connection.*
  • Over a 30% drop in underage liquor sales.**
  • DUI crash fatalities drop 13%.**

*DePual University research conducted by Leonard A. Jason Ph.D.
**LAPD study published in the FBI Bulletin Nov. 1998

Underage Teen Smoking

Support for police sting operations:

1994 States Attorneys General study and recommendation:

  • License merchants who sell age restricted products.
  • Use police stings to test for compliance with age restrictions.
  • Issue license suspensions and fines to violators.

1997 Robert Woods Johnson Study found:

  • 96% of the public are concerned about teen drinking.
  • 82% say merchants are too lax at checking ID cards.
  • 83% of the public support penalties for underage sales.
  • 66% of the public support police sting operations. 

 

How training can help?

Sergeant Talbot has written and teaches a comprehensive police training class on conducting legal police sting operations.The training includes covert videos of actual police sting operations, a model police policy on conducting sting operations, a review of Supreme Court guidelines, and an examination of successful police programs along with the scientific research findings. News media clips covering police sting operations are also reviewed.

This highly regarded training class has been presented throughout America and Canada over the past several years.