Baldwin Wallace University students spent the past year working alongside faculty and statewide partners on a public health initiative examining how easily underage buyers can access tobacco products in Ohio.
Through a $40,000 subgrant awarded last fall by the Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation, staff and students conducted more than 6,000 compliance checks across Ohio and supported local policy efforts, including Cleveland’s new Tobacco Retail License program. An additional $50,000 was allocated to the Cleveland Department of Public Health to implement the city’s TRL [Tobacco Retailer License] system.
The subgrant was part of a larger SAMHSA [Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration]-funded project, with BW’s portion supporting six paid student interns and a dozen underage “secret shopper” buyers who analyzed state data and assisted local health departments.
As part of the enforcement phase, underage “secret shopper” buyers completed 6,033 store visits across all 88 Ohio counties. Preliminary data revealed a 22% violation rate, meaning one in five retailers sold to an underage buyer. Several counties recorded rates above 40%, according to project director and health professor Wendy Hyde.
“In every independent vape shop I went to, I got sold to without being asked for my ID,” said Payton Aston, an exercise science major and secret shopper for the project.
“This industry has completely targeted our teens and young adults,” Hyde said. “I got involved in tobacco control to help my own kids.”
Another component of the project was the creation of a mobile compliance-checker app called the T21 Compliance Checker, built in partnership with Ohio State University researchers. The app standardizes reporting and allows buyers to upload store data and ID-verification details in real time. Health departments plan to adopt the tool for future checks.
The project now moves into its next phase as BW and OSU researchers continue analyzing data and preparing several papers based on the results.
“I love the political policy piece of my work,” Hyde said, “and I also like seeing students get excited that they can make change.”
