Abstract

GOODMAN-MEZA, David et al. Indiscriminate sale of tobacco products to minors in Tijuana, Mexico: What are we doing wrong?. Bol. Med. Hosp. Infant. Mex. [online]. 2009, vol.66, n.3, pp.234-240. ISSN 1665-1146.

Introduction. In Mexico, since 1984, the General Health Law prohibits the sale of tobacco products to minors. Nonetheless, recent surveys conducted in several Mexican cities report a prevalence of between 13 and 28% among high school students. Methods. Ten zones from the city of Tijuana, Mexico in the state of Baja California were randomly selected from the city map. In each zone, 15 tobacco-selling businesses were then chosen. Four teams were created for the cigarette purchase attempts, each including one minor (14-17 years of age). Results. A total of 150 purchase attempts were made. Ninety nine were successful (66%). Attempts were significantly more frequently successful when the minor was a female, when the clerk did not ask for the minor's age or ID and when there were no signs prohibiting cigarette sales to minors in the store. In a logistic regression analysis, only the request for ID by the clerk and the clerk asking for the minor's age were significantly associated with an unsuccessful purchase attempt. Conclusions. Two simple policies -the posting of signs prohibiting cigarette sale to minors and the store clerk asking for valid ID- could significantly reduce the sale of cigarettes to minors in the city of Tijuana, Mexico.

Keywords : Tobacco; indiscriminate sale; minors; Tijuana; Mexico.