Indicator Description
In 1992, federal lawmakers passed the SYNAR Amendment, which requires states to have laws in place prohibiting the sale and distribution of tobacco products to persons under 18 and to enforce those laws. Each state is required to perform regular compliance checks on vendors and to monitor the sales rates of tobacco to minors.

Some states also use compliance checks to monitor and regulate alcohol sales to underage drinkers. Alcohol compliance checks have been shown to help decrease alcohol sales to minors and to help reduce underage drinking.

What to Measure

• Compliance rates: measure the percentage of vendors that comply with laws regarding the sales of alcohol or tobacco to minors.

Where to Find Local Data

• SYNAR data: Call your state substance abuse agency to find out which entity is responsible for SYNAR enforcement. Enforcement may be handled by the state agency responsible for drug and alcohol addiction, the state health department, private entities, or a combination of these and other organizations.
• The Underage Drinking Enforcement Training Center maintains an alcohol compliance check database that you can use to track information related to specific enforcement operations.
• Your state liquor control board may have information on alcohol compliance rates.
• Contact the state department of public health to see if they have these data available.

Interpretation Guidelines

• Compliance rates provide a measure of the availability of tobacco and alcohol to minors. They can also help determine the amount of resources allocated to enforce sales of tobacco and alcohol to underage users.

Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. "DHSS efforts lead to dramatic reduction in tobacco sales to minors," November 4, 2003.

 Washington State Liquor Control Board. Annual Report, 2002.