Retailers in Missouri are getting training on how to spot underage buyers of tobacco and how to tell those underage buyers no. Ron Leone with the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association says the “We Card” program provides in-store training and in-store signage that says those who purchase tobacco must be at least 18-years-old. While he finds the training valuable for retailers in his organization, Leone believes there should be more emphasis on punishing those underage customers who try to buy tobacco, such as taking away a driver’s license for a short time. Leone says it’s hard to quantify how many illegal purchases of tobacco are made, but his group believes one is too many.
