The news of a license suspension in Needham spread immediately to all retailers in town, and subsequent infractions dropped to near zero. Because tobacco sales to those younger than 21 years comprise only about 2% of total retail tobacco sales, merchants will not want to risk losing all tobacco sales for a few illegal transactions.6 Enforcing Tobacco 21 should be easier than enforcing Tobacco 18 for a few key reasons. ...compliance check personnel who are aged 18 to 20 years are easier to recruit than those aged 17 years, who require parental consent. ...when the minimum legal age ofsale for tobacco and alcohol are the same, the commercial and societal norms of that single age become mutually reinforcing.