SPRINGFIELD, IL - Sales of cigarettes to underage buyers are down significantly in Illinois, the Associated Press reports.
According to the Illinois Liquor Control Commission (ILCC), when it began conducting stings in 1994, minors were able to purchase tobacco 67 percent of the time. That number has now dropped to 4 percent for 2011.
On the enforcement side, Illinois received a $515,000 federal grant last year to aid enforcement of its prohibition on tobacco sales to minors.