The latest federal government research data conducted by the CDC indicates that among current electronic vapor product users who were aged ≤17 years, the most commonly reported usual source of electronic vapor products was borrowing them from someone else (42.8%). The related data analysis points out that those aged ≤17 years primarily got vapor products on the Internet; gave someone else money to buy them; borrowed them from someone else; got them from a person who could legally buy them, or got them some other way.
On August 21st, the CDC released YRBSS (Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System) 2019 data that is based on surveys completed by America’s youth. The survey asks all kinds of questions and was “developed in 1990 to monitor health behaviors that contributed markedly to the leading causes of death, disability and social problems among youth in the United States”. The latest results illustrate the importance of why We Card is jumping to Best Practice #9.
Research sources beyond the YRBSS indicate that those who are under the legal age to purchase age restricted products get vapor or tobacco products 70% to 80% of the time from non-commercial sources, such as “bumming” or “borrowing” from someone who is of legal age to buy. Best Practice #9 suggests that “If you can reasonably determine that an adult is buying an age-restricted product for an underage youth, you should deny the sale.”
Best Practice #9
Be on Guard for Adult-for-Underage Youth Purchases
The good news is that over time, retailers have improved compliance with laws and regulations and the survey show this improvement… but an adult purchase and supply to someone underage is increasingly becoming a problem.
We Card has opportunities for retailers to reinforce Best Practice 9 through signing on to the We Card Retailer Pledge, making sure your employees are trained to identify possible adult purchases for those underage (think multi brand or bulk purchases), display signs stating store policy and more. Take our survey and check out our Best Practice #9 in the free guide at the end of the survey. And for more resources, visit wecard.org.
