CAPE JAYCEES JOIN WITH TOBACCO COMPANY TO STRESS NO YOUTH SALES

Fifteen local retailers that sell cigarettes were visited Tuesday night by eight Cape Girardeau Jaycees members and Cape Girardeau police officer Charlie Herbst.

The group hoped to make it clear that a Missouri state law prohibits the sale of tobacco to people under the age of 18.

"We basically want to raise awareness about the law," said Lonnie Schwent, co-chairman of the local "Jaycees Against Youth Smoking" program. He said the visits are to help reduce youths smoking and raise awareness of the minimum-age law.

The "We Card Program" is part of a National "Jaycees Against Youth Smoking" program that was launched by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in January 1994.

Both programs are implemented on a local level with the support of businesses and are nationally supported with a unrestricted grant from the R.J. Reynolds Corp.

"We Card" materials are designed to help retailers send a consistent message to underage tobacco users that the retailer will not sell to them. Signs, stickers and pins, that say "We card those under 18" were given out to the convenience stores, grocery stores, chain drug stores, and others who sell tobacco.

Linda Job, former Cape Girardeau Jaycees president and program chairman, said the Jaycees are grateful to R.J. Reynolds for its support.

"The Jaycees designed their own program to deal specifically with tobacco access," she said. "The company realized that the Jaycees have the resources and leadership abilities necessary to make an impact on the problem of underage access to tobacco."

The team of Jaycees who visited local businesses Tuesday night did not do so without warning; letters were sent to the targeted businesses prior to the visits.

While giving the "We Card" packets out the team spoke to retailers and encouraged them to increase their compliance with the minimum-age restrictions on tobacco sales.

In addition to the packets, retailers were asked to sign a "Responsible Merchant Pledge" stating their commitment to maintain a strict policy to identify all buyers of age-restricted tobacco products.

Retailers were also asked to place "Support the Law" stickers on their front doors.

"We hope the in-store displays will scare underage smokers from wanting to buy these tobacco products," said Job.

According to U.S. government data, nearly 11 percent of children ages 12 to 17 have tried cigarettes in the last month. Twenty-one percent or more of high school seniors smoke daily. Of those 12 percent smoke half a pack a day or more.