It's called the Iowa Pledge,
and it's a partnership with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (Iowa
ABD) to educate local retailers and to enforce Iowa's tobacco
laws. The Iowa Pledge Program has helped increase statewide
tobacco compliance by 22% since it began in 2000. By partnering
with the Iowa ABD the Fayette County Sheriff's Office will look to do
its part in continuing the upward trend.
Throughout the next year,
Fayette County Deputies will be offering free monthly Iowa Pledge
Retailer Certification Classes to local tobacco retailers where clerks
will learn the fundamentals of Iowa's tobacco laws, as well as how to
calculate a customer's age and effectively refuse illegal sales.
Clerks who successfully
complete an online exam will be Iowa Pledge Certified and the retail
establishment will receive an affirmative defense against a civil
penalty if the certified clerk makes an illegal sale.
"The Iowa Pledge Retailer
Certification Classes are a great way for clerks to prepare themselves
to refuse illegal tobacco sales," Sheriff Marty Fisher says. "The
classes will help retailers maintain a compliant and responsible
establishment."
Also as a part of the Iowa
Pledge Program, Fayette County Deputies will be conducting compliance
checks on local establishments. Underage customers under the
supervision of law enforcement officers will enter establishments and
attempt to buy tobacco products. Clerks who make the illegal sale
will be cited on the spot.
Criminal penalties for
selling tobacco to a minor include a $100 fine for the first offense, a
$250 fine for the second offense and a $500 fine for third and
subsequent offenses. Handing out citations, however, is not the
intent of the Iowa Pledge Program.
"By partnering with the
Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, we hope to educate clerks and
maintain a compliant retail environment in our community," Sheriff
Fisher says. "Moreover, we pledge to help keep tobacco out of the
hands of Iowa's youth."
