Illegal tobacco sales by retailers are jeopardizing up to $7 million in federal grants to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, said Terri White, the agency’s commisioner.

Edmond retail outlets are among those on the list of violators.

If Oklahoma retail outlets such as convenience and grocery stores continue to sell tobacco to minors, the department could lose up to 40 percent of its federal substance abuse block grant, which would cripple the agency’s efforts to help people recover from drug and alcohol addiction.

Retailers, also, are in danger of losing something — their tobacco licenses — if clerks continue to sell tobacco to those under the age of 18.

Edmond retailers on the list of store violations were Mid Way Food Mart and IB’s convenience store.

The federal Synar Amendment, authored in 1993 by the late Oklahoma Congressman Mike Synar, requires states to have a compliance rate of at least 80 percent regarding the sale of tobacco products to minors.

This means no more than 20 percent of stores randomly inspected by the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission can be cited for selling tobacco to minors.

Rates of non-compliance over the past three years have steadily increased, from 8.5 percent in 2006 to 18.1 percent in 2008.

“If it reaches 20 percent this year, Oklahoma is at risk of losing this federal funding,” said White, an Edmond resident. “Retailers are getting lax when it comes to illegally selling tobacco to minors. Thousands of Oklahomans’ lives are at risk and millions of dollars needed for treatment services are in jeopardy.”

White said already the state cannot provide enough services for the estimated 250,000 Oklahomans who need drug or alcohol treatment.

“In a tough economic climate, this will further the decline and cause undo hardship on individuals, their families and communities,” White said.

White said ABLE agents soon will be conducting 2009 “buy” operations, which are conducted randomly and unannounced at tobacco sales outlets across the state. Select Oklahoma teenagers assist ABLE with these operations.

If the under-age youth successfully purchases tobacco, an ABLE agent issues the clerk a citation and a fine. If a store receives three citations in a two-year time period, the Oklahoma Tax Commission can suspend the store’s license to sell tobacco products for 30 days.

Smoking is still the leading preventable cause of death in Oklahoma, White said. The Oklahoma State Department of Health also estimates tobacco costs Oklahoma more than $2.7 billion in medical expenses and lost productivity each year, she said.

Store owners who sell tobacco need to do so responsibly and that means following the law, White said. Those who have continued difficulty with compliance are putting their own profits ahead of the health of Oklahoma children, she said.

“Clearly, they are not prioritizing health or following the law, and they are jeopardizing treatment for thousands of Oklahomans who really need our help in overcoming drug and alcohol addiction,” White said.

“Clearly, we are not doing our children any favors by selling them tobacco products,” she said. “And we all ultimately end up paying for it through higher health care costs related to smoking and other forms of tobacco addiction.”

White said 80 percent of retailers didn’t sell tobacco products to minors. Among them were several Edmond retailers.

“The fact that so many retailers didn’t sell these products to minors suggests that there is no excuse for the other 20 percent to continue breaking the law, and putting our state’s youth and federal funding at risk.”

Edmond Sun REPORTER MARK SCHLACHTENHAUFEN CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT.