Nicotine Pouches and Asking for ID
Nicotine pouches are an age-restricted product. Don’t assume everyone knows it.
We all know that products like cigarettes, cigars and chewing tobacco cannot be sold to people under the age of 21. And the same is true for vaping products as well. But some store employees may not know that nicotine pouches are an age-restricted product.
That means “carding” everyone under the age of 30 attempting to purchase these products, and only approving sales of nicotine pouches to those over 21 years of age.
Carding everyone under 30 years old is the federal law requirement that FDA enforces. FDA issued a new rule, effective September 30, 2024, requiring retailers to verify the ages of everyone under age 30 who attempt to purchase FDA-regulated products. Previously the age was under 27 years old. Some states have a higher age threshold to ask for ID. Make sure to follow your state’s requirement (or your store’s policy) if it’s higher than “under 30.”
Nicotine pouches are fairly new, and because of their differences to more traditional tobacco products, it’s possible that your employees are not aware they are age-restricted and might not know they should be carding customers who request them.
We Card‘s online training courses include customer scenarios on underage youth attempting to purchase “nicotine pouches,” helping your employees get familiar with
these situations so they know exactly what to do when they arise. This includes the proper way to ask for ID as well as how to use We Card’s AERO method to de-escalate tense situations while denying the sale of age-restricted products to underage customers.
We Card also has new signage specifically designed to reinforce that nicotine pouches are age-restricted and help remind retail employees of the need to card and inform customers that retail stores will card for these and other products.
Consider ordering the small 3” x 4” sticker or the full size 6.5” x 8” window-door decal that says, “Under 21, No Tobacco, Vapor or Nicotine Pouches, We Card, Please Have ID Ready.”
With We Card’s support, we can help your store’s compliance efforts while also keeping these products out of the hands of kids. Learn more at www.wecard.org.
