Prevention Insights is involved in three statewide initiatives in Indiana that focus on monitoring and enforcing laws regulating the sale of tobacco products to anyone under 21 years old:
| Synar | TCC | FDA | |
| Year Initiated | 1992 | 1999 | 2011 |
| Purpose | - Monitor tobacco retailer violation rate (RVR) - Ensure state’s involvement in enforcement |
- Enforce state laws prohibiting sale of tobacco products to minors | - Enforce federal laws regarding manufacturing, promotion and distribution of tobacco products |
| Main Activities | - Conduct undercover inspections in a random sample of tobacco retailers; report results to SAMHSA | - Conduct compliance inspections of all tobacco retailers to enforce state laws | - Conduct compliance inspections of all tobacco retailers to enforce federal laws |
| Agencies Involved | - SAMHSA (federal) - DMHA (state) - IU-Prevention Insights |
- ATC Excise Police (state) - (IU-PI to hire youth) |
- FDA Center for Tobacco Products (federal) - IU-Prevention Insights |
| Primary Contact | - Cathy Blume FSSA-DMHA |
- Supt Matt Strittmatter ATC - Excise |
- Aaron Jones IU-Prevention Insights |
| Source of Funding | - SAMHSA (federal) - Indiana Congress (state) |
- Indiana Congress (state) thru FSSA-DMHA | - FDA Center for Tobacco Products (federal) |
Use of tobacco products by youth is a significant problem facing every state in the country. Public health officials were thrilled when smoking rates began to decline among this age group. However, the results of the National Youth Tobacco Survey[1] show that as smoking has begun to decrease among youth 12-17 years old, vaping has increased so significantly in the past five years that the routine consumption of nicotine by high school and middle school students is higher than ever.
Percentage of middle and high school students who currently use (within past 30 days) e-cigarettes and any tobacco product — National Youth Tobacco Survey, United States, 2011–2018
