BAD, SEATTLE TOBACCO RETAILERS! BAD!

King County Public Health today released a list of retailers that have been caught selling tobacco to minors. 

The release said that 15% of the time that undercover checks were conducted a retailer would sell tobacco to minors.  That number is up over the last five years from a 7% rate in the previous test.  Dr. David Fleming, the Director of Public Health – Seattle & King County, said that progress was made but that there was still work to do.  From the release:

“We’ve made progress over the past ten years in reducing the impact of tobacco addiction in our community, but we need to keep this good work going,” said Dr. David Fleming, Director of Public Health — Seattle & King County. “As funding for proven tobacco prevention programs is eliminated statewide, the tobacco industry continues to find new ways to market products that appeal to kids.”

The tobacco industry has responded to tougher federal regulations around the marketing and advertising of cigarettes with new tobacco products that are attractive to youth, such as dissolvable tobacco that closely resembles gum, candy and breath strips, and cigars, cigarillos and snus (teabag-like pouches of tobacco) in flavors such as peach, chocolate, strawberry and grape.

Data on the impacts of smoking were also included.  Since the mid-1990’s, there has been a considerable decline in the percentages of smokers in the population.  However, public health folks will tell you there is good reason to be vigilant.

Sales of tobacco to teens are a high concern because most adult tobacco addictions start in youth; 90% of current smokers became addicted before they were 19 years old. Overall, about a third of all kids who become regular smokers before adulthood will eventually die from smoking. Tobacco use is the leading cause of death in King County, leading to 1,990 deaths per year and $343 million in medical care costs, lost productivity and other expenses.

 

Seattle retailers that sold tobacco to minors in 2011 in Seattle
(70 sales to 63 retailers)

Note: Bold highlights retailers that made two sales.

Business Name	Address	Zip
STEWART ST. MARKET	1812 8TH AVE	98101
BROADWAY ROY 76	915 E ROY ST	98102
CHOICE TOBACCO	603 E BROADWAY	98102
PETE’S SUPER MARKET	58 E LYNN	98102
SMOKE STOP	219 BROADWAY E STE #17	98102
SUPER 97 STORE	109 BROADWAY E	98102
7 ELEVEN STORE # 2307-18553C	3939 STONE WAY AVE N	98103
AURORA GROCERY	8958 AURORA AVE N	98103
CHEAPSKATES TOBACCO	9891 AURORA AVE	98103
CROWN MARKET	9525 AURORA AVE N	98103
FREMONT CIGAR	3526 FREMONT PL W	98103
GUS COOPER FOOD MART	4605 FREMONT AVE N	98103
Z FOOD MART	9530 AURORA AVE N	98103
BARTELL DRUG COMPANY #10	1101 MADISON ST	98104
7-ELEVEN STORE 2307-29078A	101 NE 50TH ST	98105
SAFEWAY STORE #3091	4732 BROOKLYN AVE NE	98105
UNIVERSITY 76	4557 BROOKLYN AVE NE	98105
UNIVERSITY VILLAGE 76	5100 25TH AVE NE	98105
WALLINGFORD SHELL MART	210 NE 45TH ST	98105
SEAPORT FOOD MART	7800 DETROIT AVE SW	98106
DOLLAR PLUS	2220 NW MARKET ST	98107
SAFEWAY FUEL #1477	1423 NW MARKET ST – FUEL	98107
WALGREENS #03604	5409 15TH AVE	98107
HOP IN GROCERY – MONTLAKE	2605 22ND AVE E	98112
MONTLAKE TEXACO 76	2625 E MONTLAKE PL	98112
SAFEWAY #1993	2201 E MADISON	98112
DELRIDGE DELI MART	3861 DELRIDGE WY SW	98116
GRANDECKER FOOD MART & GAS	9201 HOLMAN RD NW	98117
GREENWOOD CENTER	355 NW 85TH	98117
WALGREENS #05950	4412 RAINER AVE S	98118
DRAVUS BP (76)	1517 W DRAVUS ST	98119
QFC #811	1600 W DRAVUS ST	98119
BELLTOWN CAFÉ MARKET	2911 2ND AVE	98121
DAN’S BELLTOWN GROCERY	2221 3RD AVE	98121
AMY’S MERKATO	2922 E CHERRY ST	98122
BP ARCO AM/PM	665 23RD AVE	98122
CITY MARKET	1722 BELLEVUE AVE	98122
PINE FOOD STORE	701 PINE ST E	98122
SOUTHSEA GROCERY	917 E JEFFERSON	98122
UNION MARKET	996 E 21ST ST	98122
99 CENTS ETC	3012 NE 127TH ST	98125
LAKE CITY DOLLAR STORE	13737 LAKE CITY WAY NE	98125
TOWN MARKET	10704 5TH AVE NE	98125
UNION 76 APEX SHELL	11346 LAKE CITY WAY NE	98125
WALGREENS	859 NE NORTHGATE WAY	98125
DISCOUNT SMOKE & BEVERAGE	9450 SW 35TH AVE	98126
SOUTH SEATTLE MARKET	6352 35TH AVE SW	98126
SUPER DELI MART	9051 35TH AVE SW	98126
CIGAR & PIPE	13510 AURORA AVE N STE A	98133
DANS DELI MART	10513 GREENWOOD AVE N	98133
DENNY WAY SHELL	620 DENNY WAY	98133
EASY SMOKE & MARKET	10333 AURORA AVE	98133
FRIENDLY FOOD MART	10500 GREENWOOD AVE N	98133
CORNER STORE & DELI	1720S JACKSON	98144
HILLTOP RED APPLE MARKET	2701 BEACON AVE S	98144
JERUSALEM MINI MART	2504 S JACKSON ST	98144
QUICK PACK FOOD MART	2616 S JACKSON ST	98144
RITE AID #5224	2707 RAINIER AVE S	98144
SEATTLE DELI	225 12TH AVE S #101	98144
ALBERTSON’S NO. 418	10616 16TH AVE SW	98146
ORIGINAL DELI	1215 4TH ABE AB LEVEL	98161
7-ELEVEN STORE 2307-23525D	12848 MARTIN LUTHER KING WAY S	98188
MAGNOLIA THRIFTWAY	3830 34TH AVE W	98199