The Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD) found 93-percent of retailers who sold tobacco refused to sell to an underage customer during checks by the division in the last fiscal year. Meghan O’Brien, the deputy director of administration for A-B-D, says most of the 34-hundred tobacco retailers are checked for compliance each year. “This is only the second time that the compliance rate has been this high, and I think the success of all our education programs and our partnerships are the reason whey we’ve been able to achieve this level of compliance,” O’Brien says.

The compliance rate hit 93-percent for the first time in 2010 and has been at 92-percent in three of the last five years. She says the division works with 193 local law enforcement partners and the Iowa State Patrol to conduct the random compliance checks. “They typically use youth in communities and the youth develop relationships with law enforcement — and that is how the compliance check is done,” O’Brien says. Records show tobacco retailers in the mid 1990’s were selling tobacco to minors during 50-percent of checks.

A-B-D took over the tobacco enforcement in 2000 and created the Iowa Pledge program to educate retailers on how to stop sales to minors. “We work really hard to create partnerships and do education rather than immediately go to the punitive side. We want to have a trust relationship with these retailers and we want to help them be successful and reduce the number of youth getting access to tobacco products,” according to O’Brien Smoking is no longer allowed in many public places after the passage of the Smoke Free Air Act in 2008. O’Brien says it’s a change that has also helped in preventing young people from smoking.

“Youth growing up right now can’t remember a time when an ashtray was ever inside a restaurant,” O’Brien says. She says that’s one piece of the issue and they complement that with restricting the sale of tobacco and that helps reinforces that tobacco usage is not appropriate for youth. “So, I think the State of Iowa has done a tremendous job in overall tobacco control.”

Twenty-seven of the 99 counties had a 100-percent compliance rate. Included among them are Adams, Fremont, Guthrie, Page, Sac and Taylor Counties.

(Radio Iowa)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press…

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating a stabbing in Waterloo that resulted in the death of a 29-year-old man. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports officers found John Ladell Bass of Waterloo with a single stab wound to his chest shortly after 4 a.m. yesterday. Bass was taken to the hospital where he died.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The city of Des Moines wants its residents to move around. Several blocks of a major street in Des Moines were shut down yesterday afternoon for Open Streets, an event promoting neighborhoods, local businesses and physical activity. Organizers said the event on University Avenue between 23rd and 41st streets would feature yoga, soccer and dance.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — One year after Southwest Airlines began flying out of Des Moines, airfares at the airport are cheaper. The Des Moines Register reports Airport Director Don Smithey credits Southwest for the lower fares because other airlines adjusted prices to compete. Southwest began offering twice-a-day flights from Des Moines to Chicago last September. The discount airline added a daily flight to Las Vegas yesterday.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The criminal case against an eastern Iowa man for growing marijuana highlights the arguments for the medical use of marijuana. Scott County prosecutors say 47-year-old Benton Mackenzie is a drug dealer who had 71 marijuana plants in his house. But the Quad City Times reports Mackenzie suffers from terminal cancer. Mackenzie says marijuana treats the pain and nausea of his illness.

Iowans are being warned about a scam involving the federal government’s Affordable Care Act, a large portion of which will launch next week. Con artists are calling homes, saying they’re ready to send your Obamacare card, all they need is your personal information. Kimberly Hazen, with the Better Business Bureau, says these are the latest in the long-running string of health care “phishing” scams. “Just like we get these bogus emails from our so-called credit card company, asking for our credit card account, that’s a phishing attempt,” Hazen says. “They’re trying to get personal information from you willingly by posing as somebody official.”

Callers may claim they need your Medicare, banking or personal information to get you your coverage. Hazen says it’s highly unlikely Medicare or anyone from the federal government is really calling you. “Remember that the government rarely gives us a call,” Hazen says. “They rarely will email us. They do most of their work through the mail, so when you get a call from somebody saying they’re with the government, do your homework and make sure you know exactly who you’re dealing with.” Hazen says the best response to these calls is to hang up, or to make some calls yourself to learn more.

“Find out what agency they’re calling from and actually get that agency number, look it up on your own via the internet or any government office in the phone book,” Hazen says. “You want to make sure that you are calling them back on your own.” If you repeatedly get these calls, contact your local authorities or contact the Better Business Bureau via www.bbb.org.

(Radio Iowa)