FDA Enacts Age Change for Purchasing Tobacco, Allows Transition Period Among Retailers
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
By David Gaudet
In December 2019, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) reported it would change the legal age for purchasing tobacco and tobacco-related products to 21 during the year 2020. In an FDA-issued statement earlier this month, the age change was enacted, but with an unspecified enforcement deadline. The FDA has granted a transition period among nationwide tobacco retailers by requiring compliance checks for customers under 18-years of age, while the organization determines an enforcement date.
The BARS Program will continue to monitor developments related to the age change. In the meantime, we encourage you to utilize We Card’s catalog of window and door resources to outfit your retail location(s) with the appropriate signage. If you have questions, or want to engage in BARS’ compliance-training to ensure the lawful sale of tobacco and alcohol in your area, please contact us at barsprogram.com/contact/ or call 1-877-540-5500. Visit www.barsprogram.com to learn more about The BARS Program.
Sources
National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS), NACS Daily, Jan. 16, 2020
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