THURS-008 - Closing the Gap: Expanding Tobacco Age of Sale Enforcement Across New Jersey
Thursday, April 23, 2026
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM PST
Location: Plaza Foyer, Plaza Level
Area of Responsibility: Area III: Implementation Keywords: Health Equity@@@Public Health Law(s)@@@Smoking and Tobacco, Subcompetencies: 3.1.2 Arrange for implementation services., 3.2.4 Deliver health education and promotion as designed. Research or Practice: Practice
Public Health Representative New Jersey Department of Health Avenel, New Jersey, United States
Learning Objectives:
At the end of this session, participants will be able to:
Analyze how NJDOH arranges TASE expansion implementation, prioritizing high retailer-density areas and repeat compliance checks to maximize Tobacco 21 enforcement impact.
Demonstrate how NJDOH delivers the expanded TASE program, enforcing Tobacco 21 laws, revisiting violations, pursuing legal action, and using data to guide targeted enforcement.
Adapting strategies across jurisdictions to strengthen youth tobacco prevention efforts.
Brief Abstract Summary: Discover how the New Jersey Department of Health’s Office of Tobacco Control and Prevention is expanding the State Tobacco Age of Sale Enforcement (TASE) program to target noncompliant retailers, strengthen Tobacco 21 enforcement, and reduce youth access to tobacco and ENDS. This poster presentation highlights NJDOH’s data-driven approach to revisiting high-risk areas, holding violators accountable, and maximizing enforcement impact with limited resources.
Detailed abstract description: Hear how the Office of Tobacco Control and Prevention (OTCP) at the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) is expanding the State Tobacco Age of Sale Enforcement (TASE) program to strengthen Tobacco 21 compliance, reduce youth access to tobacco and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), and ensure fair and equitable enforcement. This poster presentation will visually share the innovative, targeted strategies driving NJDOH’s expansion to improve compliance and protect youth.
Key features of the expansion include:
- Stronger Enforcement: Focused action on retailers who fail to comply with Tobacco 21 laws, with repeat violations resulting in revisits, intensified enforcement, and legal action where appropriate.
- Targeted Approach: Using compliance data to identify high retailer-density areas and direct limited enforcement resources where they have the greatest impact.
- Repeat Compliance Checks: Returning to previously noncompliant locations to ensure sustained adherence to Tobacco 21 regulations.
- Accountability & Legal Action: Taking noncompliant retailers to court to reinforce the seriousness of violations and deter future infractions.
- Strategic Use of Data: Leveraging retailer compliance data, density mapping, and violation trends to guide targeted inspections and enforcement priorities.
Attendees will gain practical insights into:
- How data-driven targeting enhances enforcement efficiency.
- Methods for sustaining compliance over time.
- Best practices for holding retailers accountable while maximizing limited enforcement resources.
- How these strategies can be adapted in other jurisdictions to strengthen youth tobacco prevention.
This poster presentation empowers public health professionals and policymakers to see how NJDOH’s TASE expansion represents a model of targeted, strategic enforcement to maximize resources, hold violators accountable, and protect youth through smarter, harder-hitting tobacco control action.
