Dangers of Underage Smoking

It's no news that underage smoking is dangerous, but its prevalence can be surprising.

Lack of Enforcement

Underage smoking is a problem nationwide, but it has been particularly pervasive in California. From Oakland to Santa Clara, and several other cities/counties throughout west-coast state, numerous smoke shops have been cited for selling tobacco products to minors.

California state law requires smoke shop clerks to check the IDs of any and all customers who reasonably appear to be under the age of 21. However, it is clear that many employees are not doing their due diligence.

Prevalence of Fake IDs

Furthermore, the use of fake IDs is extremely prevalent among minors. According to the Alcoholic Beverage Control in California, over 1 million fake IDs are in circulation in the state alone. The three most common forms of fake IDs are borrowed IDs, forged IDs, and altered IDs. Borrowed IDs are especially insidious. According to Absec, a company that specializes in bar security training, 95% of all ID fraud cases involved borrowed IDs.

Our mobile application's robust ID Verification System and our lockers' Facial Verification Scan ensure that no individual with a fake ID (no matter what kind) is able to view, purchase, or retrieve any tobacco products.

The Solutions

View our Solutions page for a more detailed breakdown of the steps we are taking to combat underage smoking in the state of California.