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„5/egg <br /> n <br /> RESOLUTION <br /> YOUTH ACCESS TO TOBACCO IN NORTH CAROLINA <br /> WHEREAS, tobacco use is the number one preventable cause of death; and <br /> WHEREAS, over one million teenagers start smoking each year, and minors <br /> buy about one billion packs of cigarettes each year; and <br /> WHEREAS, most smokers start at about age 13-14 and 90% start smoking <br /> before the age of 20; and <br /> WHEREAS, the earlier a young person starts to use tobacco, the less <br /> likely it is that he/she will be able to quit later (JAMA) and <br /> subsequently will die of a tobacco induced disease; and <br /> WHEREAS, in locations where tobacco sales to underage persons have been <br /> curtailed, the prevalence of smoking by teenagers has decreased, <br /> particularly among the youngest age groups; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Alcohol, Drug Abuse and Mental Health Administration <br /> (ADAMHA) Reorganization Act Synar Amendment mandates adoption and <br /> enforcement of laws prohibiting sale or distribution of tobacco products <br /> to those younger than 18 years of age by October 1, 1993; and <br /> WHEREAS, North Carolina may lose significant federal funding for mental <br /> health drug and alcohol abuse if it does not show that they are enforcing <br /> their minimum age law "in a manner that can reasonably be expected to <br /> reduce the extent to which tobacco products are available to individuals <br /> under the age of 18" ; and <br /> WHEREAS, a District Court judge found a store clerk innocent of selling <br /> cigarettes to a 14 year old on April 24, 1992 in Wilmington, North <br /> Carolina. <br /> THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> requests the North Carolina General Assembly to change North Carolina Law <br /> to effectively prohibit the sale of tobacco products to persons under 18. <br /> BE IT ALSO RESOLVED, that the word "knowingly" be removed from the <br /> present state law concerning selling cigarettes to minors. <br /> BE IT ALSO RESOLVED, that language be included in the law which states: <br /> "No retailer shall sell or permit to be sold cigarettes or other tobacco <br /> products to an individual without requesting and examining identification <br /> establishing the purchaser's age as 18 years or greater unless the seller <br /> has some other conclusive basis for determining the buyer's age. ” <br /> Adopted this 8th day of March, 1993 <br /> �� <br /> �� <br /> Attest�j � Li[ <br /> �� Moses Carey, Jr. , Chai <br />