INGHAM COUNTY - In 1993, 74% of retailers in Ingham County sold tobacco to minors. Now in 2014, that number has dropped to just 6%.

"'93 is when Ingham county actually passed an ordinance to license tobacco retailers, which is not common in the state,” said Ingham County Health Officer Linda Vail.

As one of the few counties in Michigan to license it’s tobacco retailers, Ingham County is able to issue tickets and fines to retailers who don’t follow the county ordinance.

“Just like a restaurant license is issued, you've got to pass all our rules and inspections in order for us to allow you to maintain your license,” said Vail.

In order to find out how many retailers sell to minors under the age of 18, the Health department, in cooperation with the Ingham County Sheriff’s department, conducts compliance checks with local tobacco retailers.

In these compliance checks, an underage decoy attempts to purchase a tobacco product. If the retailer asks for an ID and denies the sale, the retailer passes. However, if the sale is approved, that’s when issues arise.

“We recruit those teens, we train them, those sorts of things, we accompany them when we go into the retailers, and they make an attempt to buy a tobacco product," Vail explained.

In Ingham County, stores that fail county compliance checks more than once in a three year period risk losing their license to sell tobacco products.

“I’ve been here a bunch when people don’t have their ID’s," says Admiral gas station cashier Veronica. "My co-workers are sticklers about it, especially the older people, they’ll be like ‘no, sorry I can’t sell them to you’”

While only 6% of vendors sell tobacco to minors in Ingham County, the statewide rate for 2014 was 18%, which was an increase from 10.6 percent in 2012.