Underage tobacco use is a complex issue for which there is no one simple solution. There is no single reason why young people engage in risky behaviors, such as experimenting with tobacco products, alcohol or drugs. Experts point to a variety of societal, environmental and personal factors that must be considered to help prevent these behaviors, and recommend a multi-faceted approach.
Keeping tobacco products out of kids' hands is a critical part of helping reduce underage tobacco use.
In 2008, John Middleton became a supporting member of the Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing and its
We Card® training and education program.
We Card provides retailers with an array of tools and resources to help prevent underage tobacco sales, including training seminars, interactive online training, in-store signage and educational resources (such as age verification calendars, tip sheets on how to spot fake IDs, and retailer knowledge tests).
Additionally, our Retail Trade Program provides incentives to retailers to merchandise and sell cigars in ways that support our underage tobacco prevention efforts, including in a non-self service manner, such as behind the counter. The Program requires retailers to certify that all employees who sell tobacco products to consumers will complete the
We Card Training and requires that they display
We Card or equivalent signs.
In addition, Middleton supports legislation that would help prevent underage access to tobacco products. The best way to address concerns about underage access is through legislation that would fairly and equitably apply to the entire category. Middleton supports the enactment and effective enforcement of model underage access prevention laws that, among other things:
- require all tobacco product purchases to be clerk-assisted or conducted in an otherwise non-self service environment to include the restriction of vending machine sales of tobacco products;
- prohibit anyone from purchasing tobacco products for, or distributing tobacco products to, a minor; and
- prohibit the purchase or possession of tobacco products by minors or the use of false identification by a minor during an attempt to purchase tobacco products.
Research shows that parents can influence a child's decision not to smoke or use other tobacco products. One resource to help parents is ParentFurther from the Search Institute.
Parents face many challenges in raising healthy, responsible kids that avoid risky behaviors, like tobacco use. To help parents raise successful kids, Philip Morris USA, an Altria Group company, has provided a grant to the non-profit Search Institute, a leader in positive youth development, to develop a new online resource for parents and other caring adults. Based on more than 50 years of experience discovering what kids need to succeed, the Search Institute has developed a new comprehensive online resource: ParentFurther. This practical, user-friendly resource encourages proactive parenting with everyday tips and tools for a wide range of subjects, from family communication to preventing underage tobacco use and other risky behaviors.
We encourage you to visit
ParentFurther, a valuable resource to help parents influence their kids not to smoke or use other tobacco products.
We follow a number of business practices designed to limit underage access and exposure to our tobacco product brands and marketing materials. For example, we:
- limit direct mail and access to branded websites to adult smokers who are 21 or older and similarly limit one-to-one marketing activities to those 21 years of age or older;
- do not pay for product placement or the presence of tobacco use in public entertainment media, and decline all requests for use or reference of our tobacco brands in such media; and
- provide financial incentives to participating retailers to merchandise and sell cigars only in clerk-assisted transactions and place our retail point of sale materials in limited locations only.
Learn more about our responsible marketing efforts.
