Tobacco Crackdown: Get Prepared for Enforcement Stings 

The tobacco category is big business for the convenience industry. Yet, a changing tide of federal, state and local regulations continues to put the heat on retailers, even as they hustle to keep pace with evolving consumer tastes and demands. Last month, Ohio lawmakers voted to raise the legal age to buy tobacco and vapor products statewide, from 18 to 21, effectively quashing a patchwork of local-level tobacco ordinances and setting
the stage for a renewed crackdown on compliance with age-restricted product sales.

The new law will make deep cuts into Ohio retailers' bottom lines, as those businesses stand to lose a large customer base of tobacco customers aged 18 to 20. And, with no grandfather clause in the law, retailers need to be ready to respond to tobacco users in the 18 to 20 demographic who are likely to attempt to make purchases after the new
age-restrictions take effect.

Further complicating matters for retailers are ramped-up efforts enforcement stings by federal regulators specifically targeting the convenience channel. Now, more than ever,
it is critical for c-store operators to step up their responsible retailing efforts. 

Join us Thursday, August 22 at 2:00 p.m. for an all-new, one-hour webinar, "Tobacco Crackdown: Get Prepared for Enforcement Stings," presented by Doug Anderson, President, The We Card Program, Inc.

In this latest installment of the OPMCA Coffee Break Webinar Series, Anderson will explore the shifting tobacco market, highlight the increased compliance sting activity by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Ohio Investigative Unit, and share the latest resources retailers can access to ensure front-line employees comply with new federal
and state requirements for the sale of tobacco products. Take a deep dive into the most significant regulatory threats affecting cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarette and vape  product sales.  

The We Card Program, Inc. is a national nonprofit organization representing a unified effort among associations, retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers to promote a culture of responsible retailing, and is endorsed by OPMCA.