From The State Tobacco control and the Synar Amendment by Al Fredrickson

The Synar Amendment was passed in July 1992, as part of the federal Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act. Named after the late Mike Synar, a former Member of Congress from Oklahoma, this amendment is designed to decrease access to tobacco products among children under age 18. This regulation requires each state to enact and enforce laws prohibiting any manufacturer, retailer or distributor from selling or distributing tobacco products to minors. The goal is to reduce the number of illegal tobacco purchases by minors to no more than 20% of attempted purchases.

All states, including Minnesota, have laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors and so already comply with the enactment provision of the regulation. One way that enforcement issues are addressed is within Synar's requirement that each state annually conduct random, unannounced inspections of a scientific sample of tobacco vendors, also known as compliance checks.

The purpose of these inspections is to determine vendor compliance with the laws prohibiting tobacco sales to minors. In Minnesota, the Department of Human Services (DHS) is responsible for implementation of the Synar Amendment. Within the DHS, the Chemical Dependency Division will be responsible for programmatic activities related to Synar. The Performance Measurement and Quality Improvement Division will be responsible for conducting the random, unannounced compliance checks.

A non-random sample of 1,500 compliance checks done throughout Minnesota in 1996 yielded a 30% buy rate for minors (this means that minors purchased tobacco in 30% of the attempts). The first truly random sample of compliance checks will take place in 1997.

Successful implementation of the Synar Amendment should reduce both current and future health problems among teenagers. Failure to comply with the requirements of the Synar Amendment could result in the loss of up to 40% of the federal alcohol and drug abuse block grant funds awarded to Minnesota.

We know that limiting access can be one effective tool in the prevention of ATOD problems. We need to use every tool that is available in our efforts to prevent alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse and the problems that stem from their use. Our work in compliance with the Synar Amendment is one important step in our total prevention efforts.

Al Fredrickson is the Prevention Coordinator of the Chemical Dependency Program Division, MN Department of Human Services.