What is Synar And Why Should You Care About It?

In 1992, Congress passed the Synar Amendment requiring states to implement and enforce laws barring the distribution of tobacco products to minors. The legislation is named after its Oklahoma congressional sponsor, Mike Synar, emphasizing consistent enforcement, monitoring compliance of tobacco retail outlets, and communicating results. The amendment requires states to maintain an illegal sales rate below 20%.

States that fail to comply with the Synar Amendment risk losing up to 40% of Federal block grant funds allocated for substance abuse prevention and treatment programs.

Each year, the Office of Drug Control Policy allocated funding to the local offices of substance abuse to be used to pay members of the local communities to:

1. Educate tobacco vendors in the community about the importance of complying with the Youth Tobacco Act
2. Monitor the number of tobacco retail outlets that have appropriate signage in their store
3. Explain the importance of making all clerks aware of the Youth Tobacco Act
4. Monitor the successful sales rates of tobacco products to minors