When Texas STEP was created in 1993, ongoing substance abuse surveys reported that retailers were illegally selling tobacco to underage youth 60-80% of the time.

Since 1993, Texas STEP has provided direct training to more than 5,500 officers and educators, who in turn have provided tobacco compliance education and materials to over 10 million Texans around the state, with 6.6 million of those being school-aged youth. 

Those participating law enforcement officers have educated another 15,000 officers, over 37,000 tobacco retailers, conducted more than 80,000 tobacco "stings" and 85,000 compliance inspections of tobacco retailers since Senate Bill #55, (75th Leg), Texas' comprehensive tobacco enforcement act, was signed into law in 1997.

As seen in the chart below, the reward of this diligence in education and enforcement reveals itself as Texas' violation rates regarding underage sales of tobacco stand at near 5%, far less than the 20% federal performance standard mandated under the Synar Amendment of 1992.

The one standard by which each state is judged in keeping their federal money flowing for drug prevention and substance abuse treatment is how many times they can send a kid into a store to see if that store will illegally sell a pack of cigarettes, or a bag of chew.  If that happens more than 20% of the time, then that state can lose up to 40% of their federal block grant, which in Texas' case is around $55 million dollars per year.

In Texas, we have spent $2 million dollars a year supporting local law enforcement's efforts in S.B. #55 tobacco enforcement.  That same effort keeps us from losing over $50 million federal dollars annually.  That should be a viewed as a wise investment in anyone's perspective. 

This year, during the 81st Legislative Session, Texas lawmakers decided to stop making that investment.  I believe this was an oversight by legislators who were focused on a massive budget cutting effort, and who may not be aware of the consequences of that decision.  We need your help in making them aware.

Make a call, write a letter, send an email... a small effort on  your part can make a big difference!

Until that time, stay with us as we move more of our training and education to you through new media and other cost saving methods that will benefit your officers, educators, and communities.

 

- H.M. Hancock, Director of Texas STEP, August 31, 2011

 

  More data on the success of Texas tobacco enforcement & Texas STEP!    

  Texas STEP's Home Page!