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YSP Programs: Retail Access Prevention

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We view these programs as one of the key elements that can contribute to the reduction of youth smoking. They are deployed in conjunction with retail trade organizations and aim to prevent sales of cigarettes to minors. These programs encourage retailers (through information and training of sales staff) to comply with local minimum-age laws. In countries where such laws do not yet exist, successful retail access programs can be based on a voluntary agreement with retailers.

Canadian Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing

Operation ID is a Canadian national action program designed to help retailers eliminate underage access to tobacco. This is an initiative by the Canadian Tobacco companies and the Canadian Coalition for Responsible Tobacco Retailing.

Operation ID offers retailers a free kit containing information documents, posters, advice, promotional materials, and training guide for managers and employees. The program also keeps in touch with retailers via a toll-free phone line, quarterly newsletter and a Web site (www.operationid.com). Operation ID is still the only national action plan specifically designed to help retailers explain why they are refusing to sell tobacco to minors. Since the launch of Operation I.D. in 1996, more than 90,000 Operation I.D. kits have been distributed to retailers across Canada.

The enhanced level of this program, known as Operation I.D. School Zone, was created to boost access prevention efforts in the stores located in close proximity to schools (1 km zone). It involves the setting up of a local steering committee of community and business leaders and provides additional services such as one-on-one regional consultant visits with retailers, local education and awareness initiatives, and more rigorous compliance checks.

As result the proportion of retailers complying with the laws against the sale of tobacco to minors has increased considerably, rising from 47.9% in 1995 to 69.8% in 2000/01. In communities where the School Zone program has been implemented, compliance levels are close to 80%. (Numbers based on Health Canada - AC Nielsen study, March 2001).

Russian Retail Access Program Says No To Youth Sales

JTI shares the public’s concern regarding the problem of youth smoking and strongly believes that children should not smoke. We strictly adhere to International Marketing Standards, which ban the sale and/or the promotion of tobacco to youth. This rule is applied to all regions including those that have yet to implement formal legislature.

Russia is a particular example of a country that historically had no Federal law specific on youth smoking. This resulted in a lack of legal uniformity amongst the regions of Russia with some not having any local legislation at all. As a reaction to this situation, JTI in conjunction the National Trade Association, BAT, Reemtsma and Philip Morris International, launched a nationwide program urging retailers in all regions, to adopt the slogan "We do not sell Tobacco to Minors".

After an initial pilot scheme, the program, which included training events and an extensive poster and TV campaign, began in earnest on 17 May 2000, encompassing 63 cities across the country. Direct contacts and persuasion of retail trades was supported by billboard advertising in 25 major cities and TV adverts on regional stations. Its high profile soon led to additional positive, TV and radio coverage, increasing its impact. Just two months into the program, positive effects had already begun to emerge. Out of 8,500 Moscow retailers who participated in the initial pilot, more than 70% declared their intention to continue with the program. When the program was rolled out nation-wide over 90% of retailers invited joined the program, resulting in more than 50,000 outlets actively participating throughout Russia.

Federal Government Responds

In July 2001, President Putin signed a new Federal Legal Act On Restriction of Tobacco Smoking, which came into force in January 2002. In the light of this positive development, the program re-focused its efforts, to ensure that all retailers operate in strict accordance with this new law.

In 2002, the industry's Retail Access Program covered over 100 cities in Russia.