Ever since the Supreme Court's 2000 decision that the FDA cannot regulate tobacco, there have been questions about potential new legislation, local or national, to mandate tobacco regulations. There are still restrictions for tobacco sales to minors. The legal age to buy tobacco is still 18 (19 in Alabama, Alaska, and Utah). Here is an overview about the convenience store industry's work as a responsible retailer:

The industry is committed to deterring every attempt by minors to purchase tobacco.

• NACS supports this commitment by training store employees on how to properly check identification and spot situations where adults may be attempting to purchase tobacco for youth. Employees receive instructor-based training and video and CD-ROM training.
  
• NACS also supports this commitment by posting signage in stores that indicates the minimum age to purchase tobacco.
  
• The convenience store industry demonstrates its commitment to deterring illegal sales to minors by constantly seeking out new and effective ways to deter illegal sales. For example, responsible tobacco retailing is frequently a main topic at NACS meetings and conferences.
  
• NACS is a member of the coalition that launched the "We Card" program and is a vigorous supporter of the program. Retailers that display the We Card materials are 12 times more likely to ask for ID than not, as compared to those not displaying the We Card materials. All told, more than 38,000 retailers have been trained at We Card seminars, with 400,000 retailers trained by participants at these seminars.
  
• A California State University study found that when retailers asked for age identification, underage customers were refused 99 percent of the time. The study concluded that success in preventing sales to minors can be improved by enhancing efforts to increase merchants' requests for ID.

The industry committed to a loop-hole free environment when it comes to minors and tobacco.

• We support our commitment by working with lawmakers to address tobacco sales over the Internet and underground market sales -- where there are no safeguards to prevent minors from accessing tobacco. It's critical that we close the loopholes in the Internet world, where minors can click and buy tobacco and have it delivered to their home without a single ID check.
  
• We also support our commitment to a loop-hole free environment by encouraging convenience store retailers to develop and maintain mystery shopper programs. These programs are an effective way to measure performance and reinforce the importance of always following the steps of properly checking IDs and declining a sale when proper ID cannot be produced.

No single group or industry can solve the problem of minors accessing tobacco. It will only be solved with a team approach including retailers, parents, lawmakers, law enforcement, educators, and youth.

• Retailers have a responsibility to train employees, post minimum-age signage, and support employees who support the law. The convenience store industry was at the lead in developing employee education programs and signage programs, and we continue to promote participation in all of our communications and member meetings.
  
• Parents are the first influence of youth and need to be clear in communicating the message to their children that tobacco is not for minors.
  
• Lawmakers are critical to the effort. They need to ensure that tobacco sales laws are fair, reasonable and effective, and properly enforced. They also need to ensure that just as there are deterrents for retailers to selling tobacco to minors, there must also be deterrents to minors not to attempt to purchase tobacco, and that there is accountability for everyone to help eliminate underage sales of tobacco.