| Stanislaus
County, CA – The Stanislaus County Health Services Agency Tobacco
Education Program is beginning merchant training programs for businesses
that sell tobacco products in Stanislaus County. The goal of the training
is to provide merchants that sell tobacco products education about the laws
that prohibit sales to people under 18 years old. Attendees will be given
information on the laws and practical tips for training employees and posting
proper signage.
The trainings will be held Monday, Nov. 15 at 10:00 a.m. in the Stanislaus
County Health Services Agency Main Conference Room and Monday, Nov. 22
at 10:00 a.m. in the Turlock City Council Chambers Yosemite Room located
at 156 Broadway in Turlock
The training sessions are a follow-up to the tobacco youth purchase survey
conducted in April and May of 1999. Survey results showed a countywide
youth tobacco sales rate of 12.3%. These were unconsumated sales meaning
that no money exchanged hands, but that the clerk would have sold the
tobacco if the minor had given him or her money.
The 12.3% rate was a significant improvement over the 54% illegal sales
rate in 1995.
The merchant training program will be done with assistance from the Modesto
Police Department, the District Attorney's Office, the Turlock Police
and Doctors Medical Center Foundation.
If community members believe they see a sales clerk sell tobacco products
to someone who is under 18 years old, they may call the STAKE Act Hotline
at 1-800-5ASK-4ID to report the store. The Food and Drug Branch has enforcement
officers and underage youth who follow-up these calls with compliance
checks. Stores that sell to people under age 18 will then be fined.
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