DOL seeks to curb underage alcohol and tobacco use

"Under 18 - We Card." "21 means 21." These are slogans seen behind many store counters nationwide. With a new program, the Washington state Department of Licensing (DOL) is seeking to ensure that citizens follow the catchphrases.

On July 1, the DOL implemented a new "digital-licensing" program, joining many other Western states that already issue computer-generated licenses. The purpose of the new licenses is twofold: to decrease illegal sales of alcohol and tobacco to minors by making licenses more difficult to counterfeit, and to make licenses of persons younger than 21 easily distinguishable from those of persons 21 and older.

New equipment required to create the licenses, which were first instituted at Seattle DOL locations earlier this month, will be installed at all state DOL locations by late August. The new licenses feature a digital picture of the licensee superimposed over a graphic of Mt. Rainier and larger, bolder text. The licenses are to be digitally printed on non-laminated plastic, making counterfeiting nearly impossible.

But the biggest change is the new format of the license. Cards issued to persons not yet 21 will be printed vertically, while older drivers will receive horizontal cards. Underage persons will be easily identifiable at a glance.

"The new licenses help retailers quickly determine the correct age of someone attempting to buy alcohol or tobacco," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "These new licenses will complement some of the other work being done in King County."

This work includes educating retailers to always check ID on alcohol and tobacco sales and a recent crackdown on fake-ID manufacturers in King County.

The licenses go one step further by carrying a barcode on the reverse side.

"Retailers will be able to swipe or scan the license and confirm a person's age," said Greg Hewett, manager of King County Public Health's Tobacco Prevention Program.

With the new licenses, the state hopes to curb the major problem of underage tobacco use. Although public-health officials estimate that retailers' compliance to the age laws exceeded 90 percent in King County in 2000, studies show underage tobacco usage is on the rise.

According to public-health officials, about 82 percent of smokers begin their addiction before their 18th birthday. In a 1995 survey conducted in Seattle, 20 percent of eighth graders said they smoked cigarettes every day, while 28 percent of 12th graders said they smoked daily. Data also show that children are beginning to use tobacco at increasingly younger ages. In King County, the average age of onset of tobacco use is 12.8 years of age.

"Preventing our youth from getting hooked on tobacco is an important part of keeping our community healthy, both now and for the future," said Sims.