Dr. Kurt Ribisl and graduate student Annice Kim discuss their cigarette availability study.



  UNC-Chapel Hill study targets Internet cigarette sales to kids

 
  Is the Internet making it easier for kids to buy cigarettes? A UNC School of Public Health study, led by Dr. Kurt M. Ribisl, found that cigarette vendors are easy to locate online, identifying 88 websites selling cigarettes in the U.S. These sites appeared to lack adequate precautions to prevent sales to minors. Only six sites required age verification upon delivery.

With a grant from the Michael & Laura Brader-Araje Foundation, the researchers did a follow-up study to prove that children could obtain cigarettes from the Internet by having them actually make the purchases. Indeed, the majority of websites sold to children ages 11 to 15.

As public health advocates urge Congress to restrict online cigarette sales, this research provides further evidence of its necessity. “We hope that our study will help stimulate the passage of a federal law making it illegal to sell cigarettes to children via the Internet,” said Ribisl.

This study was made possible by the Foundation’s gift to the Innovation Fund at the School of Public Health, which supports breakthrough research and helps faculty to leverage and attract additional funding from other sources.

  

©2006 Michael & Laura Brader-Araje Foundation