The sale of tobacco to minors is rising in Milwaukee

Recent undercover investigations in Wisconsin found that nearly 12 percent of Milwaukee retailers sold tobacco to minors, Milwaukee Magazine reports. These findings represent an increase over the 9 percent that was reported in 2009.

Officials from the state program Wisconsin Wins told the news source that many of the offenders were in Milwaukee's inner city. Some retailers even allowed minors to purchase tobacco products after they checked their ID, which were reportedly fake or showed that they were under the age of 18.

Investigators from the city's health department said that recent budget cuts are reducing the number of checks that can occur across the city. For instance, last year they conducted more than 1,300 inspections. However, this year they only examined 373 retailers.

Many suspect the current turbulent economy could be a cause for stores to sell tobacco to children, according to the news source. Furthermore, many of the stores that sold to minors were family-owned and do not adhere to the rules and regulations that major retailers do.

Officials generally found that communities surrounding Milwaukee had fewer violations this year.

According the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1,000 children under the age of 18 begin using cigarettes each day.