(Hypertext updated by jch 1999-AUG-02)
Food and Drug Administration
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Public Health Services 5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, MD 20857
FDA Talk Papers are prepared by the Press Office to guide FDA personnel in responding with consistency and accuracy to questions from the public on subjects of current interest. Talk Papers are subject to change as more information becomes available.
T99-35 Print Media: 301-827-6242
August 2, 1999
Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA
On August 2, 1999, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched a new advertising campaign in five states and eleven media markets to help ensure greater retailer compliance with the FDA regulation that makes the sale of tobacco products to minors illegal.
For the first time, FDA will run statewide ads throughout the year in Colorado, Tennessee, New Hampshire, Michigan, and Nevada. In addition, the ads will run in 11 other markets including Bridgeport, Connecticut; Lafayette, Louisiana; San Antonio, Texas; Springfield, Missouri; Rockford, Illinois; Rochester, New York; Roanoke, Virginia; Lawton, Oklahoma; Augusta, Maine; Washington, DC, and Macon, Georgia.
The $5 million advertising campaign will reach over 24 million people and encourages retailers and clerks to do their part to prevent young people from purchasing tobacco products (cigarettes, spit, and chew). The simple yet powerful "For a reason" campaign includes radio, print and outdoor advertising. A 30-second television advertisement also is being pilot-tested in three separate media markets.
The campaign is built around the theme that tobacco products should not be sold to children "for a reason." It ties illegal sales to minors to the deadly consequences of tobacco use. Print, radio and outdoor executions echo this message. A newspaper ad poses the question, "What would make you madder? A retailer selling cigarettes to a kid who’s: a) 9; b) 14; or c) Yours?" A radio spot features a mock game show with three youthful "contestants" where the host booms that one of every three smokers will die from the habit - and then proceeds to pick which one of his contestants will suffer this fate. Each ad concludes with the tagline, "Selling cigarettes to children is illegal. For a reason."
Along with the ad campaign, the FDA also announced the "Retailer Rewards Program," which will begin in the five states running statewide ads. This innovative initiative provides rewards such as tickets to sporting events, concerts, or amusement parks -- donated by participating radio stations -- to retailers who refuse to sell to minors who participate in unannounced inspections known as "compliance checks." In Detroit, for example, radio station WWWW-FM donated 100 tickets to the Detroit Tigers. By adding an element of positive reinforcement to complement the warnings and fines that accompany a failed compliance check, the FDA hopes to team up with retailers to raise the compliance rates around the nation.
The ads are part of the FDA’s comprehensive educational program, "No ID, No Smokes," which began in 1997 to provide retailers with the tools and knowledge to comply with FDA regulations regarding tobacco sales. Through the program, the FDA provides free education kits and in-store displays that remind managers and employees to check ID’s and inform customers why ID’s are being checked in the first place. Kits and materials are available free by calling 1-888-FDA-4KIDS.
The FDA rule, published in August 1996, requires retailers to check for photo identification of anyone younger than age 27 who attempts to purchase cigarettes or smokeless tobacco and prohibits the sale of these items to anyone under age 18. To date, more than 100,000 compliance checks have been completed by teams of state or local officials and young people at retail outlets throughout the country. Another 50,000 checks are planned during the rest of the year. Studies show that the best way to keep retailers from selling tobacco products to minors is through a combination of compliance activities and public education campaigns that target both retailers and consumers.
Tobacco retailers interested in receiving a free campaign kit should contact FDA at 888-FDA-4KIDS.
For a complete list of frequently asked questions regarding FDA regulations on Children & Tobacco, visit the FDA website at http://www.fda.gov.
Barbara Reilly, Arnold Communications, 617-587-8296.
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(Hypertext updated by jch 1999-AUG-02)