Keeping Youth from Getting Hooked
The Wisconsin Wins campaign is a science-based, state-level initiative designed to decrease youth access to tobacco products. WI Wins was launched in the spring of 2002 as part of a comprehensive approach to preventing youth access to tobacco and nicotine products. Local youth conduct unannounced compliance checks and attempt to purchase tobacco products. WI Wins congratulates local clerks who do not sell tobacco to youth, while educating those who would. This approach creates community pride by reducing youth access to tobacco products and providing youth a chance to make a difference in their community.
“Before the WI Wins program was established, there was approximately a 36% sale rate statewide to minors attempting to purchase tobacco products. We knew something had to be done. Nearly 90% of adult smokers began smoking before the age of 18, so it is crucial to reduce youth initiation,” says Samantha Pinzl, program coordinator for Marathon County.
“Data has shaped everything we do with the Wisconsin Wins program,” says Pinzl. “Over the past 15 years, the state sales rate decreased to 7.7%. We know this program works.” On a local level, the program coordinators use data each year to inform what type of public outreach strategies they will implement. For example, coordinators can see what percentage of sales came from certain zip codes or what type of retailers and can target educational outreach in those areas. We want to see our retailers pass the compliance checks. Coordinators also look at data on types of tobacco products sold and can create messages on those products to educate retailers.
“Wisconsin Wins is a great program and we’ve worked hard to develop tools to help retailers avoid costly fines and keep tobacco out of kids’ hands. We all win every time tobacco isn’t sold to minors.”
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Published 4/9/2018