Tobacco Documents Online

We Card Continues to Assist Retailers in Preventing the Sale of Cigarettes to Minors In the 14 months since the Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing (CRTR) announced the launch of the We Card retailer education program, more than 325,000 kits have been V/ issued to help retailers prevent the sale of cigarettes to minors. As a result, We Card is the most unified, most recognizable program ever launched to try and address the nationwide problem of underage smoking. From Alaska to Florida, from the largest superstores to the smallest mom- and-pop groceries, We Card's bright yellow and red signage can be seen, warning customers that: "Under 18, No Tobacco: We Card." Whi1e numbers are not available to quantify exactly how many underage sales have been thwarted because of the We Card program, retailers nationwide have commented on the positive impact the program has had in stopping minors from trying to buy cigarettes in their establishments. Consider the case of Roger McNeal of Allen, Oklahoma. In March 1995, McNeal acheived a lifelong dream by buying "McNeal's Fast Pac" convenience store. Unfortunately, McNeal soon learned that the store's previous owner had not been diligent in upholding the state's minimum age laws, and McNeal found out that his store was a mecca for underage smokers. Then he discovered We Card. "The We Card program doubly enforced what I was already doing," McNeal said in a recent interview with the Coalition

for Tobacco Retailing. "I don't have a problem at all now. When underage customers come to the drive-through window, my clerks now ask for proper identification. The kids just drive away. They don't give us any hassle at all." The We Card program was launched in 1995 by the CRTR, and marks the first time the nation's retail and wholesale organizations have joined forces with the major tobacco manufacturers to address the issue of youth smoking head-on. The "We Card".program provides retailers with customer signage to put potential underage consumers on alert that cigarettes will not be sold to minors. "We Card" also provides tools that retailers can use to help their employees understand and uphold their state's minimum age laws. Further, recognizing that the key to preventing underage sales is education and training, the Coalition sponsors training workshops around the country. The workshops offer retailers and their employees the opportunity to gain firsthand information about successfully enforcing minimum age laws, including information on how to handle difficult situations. Retailers who are interested in participating in "We Card" can order program materials directly from the Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing by calling toll-free 1-800- 934-3968. #~#