Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026

Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism
Published on: March 27, 2012
Impediments to the enforcement of youth access laws
1Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester 01655, USA. joe.difranza@banyan.ummed.edu
Objective:
To recognise obstacles to the implementation of the effective enforcement of tobacco sales laws and to identify measures that could be taken to overcome these obstacles.
Design:
Interviews were conducted with health department officials in Massachusetts communities to determine why their efforts to prevent illegal sales of tobacco to minors had been only partially successful.
Setting:
Urban, suburban, and rural communities in Massachusetts, USA.
Results:
Organisational problems, court challenges to citations, budgetary threats, and political pressure all combined to reduce the frequency of enforcement inspections to half the intended rate. Political pressure resulted in the exclusion of older youths from compliance tests, further undermining enforcement efficacy.
Conclusions:
Suggestions for addressing the problems include obtaining support from the community, keeping elected and court officials informed about plans for merchant education and law enforcement, using efficient enforcement protocols, setting merchant compliance goals, and advising the public and government officials about progress towards those goals, using older youths to make purchase attempts, and testing all merchants frequently.
Related Concept Videos
Archival Research
Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Bullying
Influence of Parents and Peers on Identity
Parental Influence on Identity Development
Parents serve as primary guides and managers in an adolescent's life, offering support instrumental in decision-making and personal growth. This guiding role...
Limit Laws I
Limit Laws II

