We all know that products like cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco cannot be sold to people under the age of 21. And the same is true for vaping products as well. But some store employees may not know that nicotine pouches are an age-restricted product.
The We Card Program -- in its 29th year -- is shining a light this September on “responsible retailing” of age-restricted products and encourages retailers to make employee training a top priority.
Summer brings a unique set of challenges for convenience stores, particularly when it comes to preventing underage sales of tobacco and vaping products. The increase in customer traffic, the influx of tourists and the prevalence of group dynamics among young people require a tailored approach to employee training. Here are some essential tips to help your staff stay vigilant and effective during the busy summer months.
Trainees’ feedback helps us identify areas that might need improvement and lets us know what works in our training modules. Employees consistently rate We Card highly in areas that help them perform well on the job and prevent underage sales of age-restricted products
A customer comes to the checkout counter to buy a vape pod. The sales associate checks the customer’s ID, finds they are under age 21 and denies the purchase attempt. Then the customer’s older friend, who is of legal age, offers to buy it instead.
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to order… while supplies last! As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the We Card Renewal Kit has the full complement of materials to ensure your employees are ready for Federal or State compliance inspections.
In some states, retailers are fined for not having legally required signs in their stores. State laws vary significantly in their requirements for displaying signs at stores that sell tobacco and vaping products.
We Card’s message to retailers is to ramp up and renew training and compliance efforts during We Card’s 11th National Awareness Month in September as FDA steps up enforcement activities.
We Card learned through experience, thousands of surveys and research that successful training is an ongoing process, not a one-time encounter. Initial training followed by constant reinforcement will teach your employees what they need to know and do to prevent underage tobacco, alcohol or vapor sales.
