Northwoods tobacco-free coalition offers free retailer training
Did you know 80% of adults who are current tobacco users started before the age of 18? We ask local retailers to join the Northwoods Tobacco-Free Coalition (NWTFC) for a FREE retailer training to learn how to keep dangerous tobacco products away from minors!
During the months of April and May several retailer trainings will be conducted throughout Forest, Florence, Lincoln, Oneida, Price, and Vilas counties to educate clerks and managers who sell tobacco products on the importance of not selling to minors. Two trainings will be held this year in Oneida County.
• Minocqua on May 7, 2015 at the Minocqua Library from 1 to 2 p.m.
• Rhinelander on May 14, 2015 at the Oneida County Health Department, 3 to 4 p.m.
WI WINS is a state wide initiative designed to keep tobacco products out of the hands of youth through compliance checks, local outreach and free training for tobacco retailers. Selling tobacco products to minors can have serious consequences for retailers including fines and even the loss of a tobacco license. Wisconsin State Statute 134.66 prohibits the sale of tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18 and requires training for staff who sell tobacco products. Both retailers and any employees who make illegal sales are subject to fines.
Clerks no longer only have to refuse the sale of cigarettes to minors but now a wide range of other tobacco products. Things such as chewing tobacco, snus, cigars, little cigars, cigarillos, electronic cigarettes and hookah products. These products come in many candy or fruit flavors including cherry, grape, chocolate and wild berry. According to a recent release from the Centers for Disease Control, 40% of youth who are currently using tobacco use flavored little cigars or cigarillos. Unfortunately, the use of these products is increasing among youth, and clerks need to be trained on them as well.
Eighteen Wisconsin teenagers start to smoke each day. It is crucial that we work together to lower that number by continuing to prevent youth from having access to tobacco products! For more questions on this FREE training please contact Maria Skubal at [email protected] or 715-369-6110.
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