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  1. Retail Sales of Tobacco Products

Retailer Training and Enforcement

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Retailers play a critical role in protecting public health and creating powerful change leading to a healthier future for all families. 

Overview

To help retailers better understand their responsibilities under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (Tobacco Control Act) and comply with the law, FDA provides webinars, training videos, and guidance documents. These resources help to educate retailers and their employees about the Tobacco Control Act and tobacco regulations. FDA also works with state regulators to enforce federal regulations to reduce the harm of tobacco.

Note: The agency has become aware of training offered to retailers for a fee and identified as being a mandatory requirement from FDA. To be clear, retailer training is not a requirement under the new Tobacco 21 (T21) legislation.  FDA is not sponsoring or offering mandatory training for retailers regarding T21. FDA does not charge a fee for its resources, materials or retailer training programs.  To help retailers better understand their responsibilities and to comply with the law, FDA provides FREE webinars, training videos, and guidance documents.  These FREE resources help to educate retailers and their employees about the Tobacco Control Act and tobacco regulations.

Retailer Compliance

FDA creates several online tools to assist industry and retailers in understanding the Tobacco Control Act, tobacco regulations, and how to comply.

Tobacco Compliance Webinars provide FDA Tobacco compliance education and information to retailers and small businesses.


Guidance on Retailer Training Programs for Employees

The FDA has issued a guidance document related to retail training programs:


Compliance Check Inspections of Retailers

  • Compliance check inspections of tobacco product retailers are conducted to determine a retailer's compliance with FDA regulations.
  • Our searchable database shares results of compliance check inspections. FDA generally issues warning letters to retailers the first time a tobacco compliance check inspection reveals a violation of federal tobacco laws and regulations that FDA enforces. FDA may seek Civil Money Penalties or No-Tobacco-Sale orders for repeat violations.

Guidance on Civil Money Penalties (CMP) and No-Tobacco-Sale Orders (NTSO)

FDA has issued two companion guidance documents related to CMPs and NTSOs.

FDA has also issued an additional guidance document related specifically to NTSOs.


Additional Resources

 
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