Associated Press - November 17, 2009 6:25 AM ET

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Authorities say the rate of tobacco sales to underage youths has risen.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services says it conducts tests with the help of teenage volunteers, the Nebraska State Patrol and Omaha Police.

In 2009, 13.6 percent of teenagers who served as test subjects were able to buy tobacco products, compared with 10.7 percent in 2005.

This year, 767 outlets were checked across the state, and the teenagers were able to make purchases at 104 of them.

The department says the teenagers who helped used only their own IDs and didn't try to look older than their ages, which ranged from 15 to 17.

It's illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under 18 in Nebraska.

On the Net:

Tobacco Free Nebraska: http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/tfn/

Tobacco sale test information: http://www.dhhs.ne.gov/hew/sua/synar.htm.

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