Nov
4
The FDA has developed a new retailer education program, “This Is Our Watch,” to provide resources to tobacco retailers to encourage consistent compliance with the federal law that makes it illegal to sell tobacco products to minors. The agency is offering updated messages and an expanded suite of materials that reflect today’s tobacco retail laws and the modern retail environment.As tobacco retailers play a critical role in reducing the overall health burden of tobacco products and in protecting youth in their community from tobacco use, the agency has created a free set of resources that includes a letter to retailers, a poster, register signage, regulation fact sheets, an age verification calendar, and instructions for use. Mailings to retailers with the complete set of materials is underway, and retailers should expect to receive their set within a few weeks. If retailers would like additional copies of the materials, they can be ordered at no additional cost through the CTP Exchange Lab.
The agency has also launched a voluntary smartphone application, “FDA Age Calculator” designed to help tobacco retailers comply with age restriction laws. While not directly tied to the updated educational program, the application complements these new resources and is available on both the Google Play and iTunes app stores. For more information click here.