Teen finds easy access to nicotine patches

MEMPHIS, March 1 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers said Monday that minors were able to buy over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy gum and patches in more than 80 percent of attempts.

According to the product labels, they were not for sale to minors.

Dr. Karen Johnson and colleagues at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center at Memphis sent a 15-year-old girl to buy nicotine replacement products from 165 stores in Memphis. The girl, who was supervised by an adult, was told not to lie about her age.

In 81 percent of purchase attempts, the under-age girl was able to buy nicotine gum or patches. The researchers found if a clerk asked the girl's age, she was much less likely to be allowed to buy such products.

"Given these findings, we conclude that the Food and Drug Administration-approved product labeling has little effect on actual sales practice," the authors said in a statement. "However, health practitioners recommending NRT to adolescent smokers attempting to quit should consider potential barriers to youth access."