It’s Everybody’s Business is a program adopted by various state agencies and organizations in Kansas to educate retailers and communities throughout the state about the law regulating tobacco sales to youth and help deter underage tobacco use.
The Synar Amendment - Youth Access Law Explained…
Years of research have proven that tobacco is addictive and deadly. In an effort to limit youth access to tobacco products, the United States Congress enacted the Synar Amendment in 1994, which required that all states adopt a law limiting access to tobacco products by youth under 18.
Kansas passed a law in 1997 stating that it is against the law to sell, distribute or furnish tobacco products to anyone under 18 years of age. Tobacco refers to any product containing tobacco leaf including: cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, snuff, chewing tobacco and dipping tobacco. In Kansas, anyone who sells, distributes or furnishes tobacco to an underage youth is guilty of a crime that is punishable by a minimum fine of $200 per offense and possible jail time. In addition, retailers who violate any provisions of state law regulating tobacco sales are subject to a fine of $1,000, and possible suspension of their Kansas tobacco retailer’s license.
In addition to enacting laws restricting youth access to tobacco products, the Synar Amendment requires that states conduct ongoing inspections of retail outlets in numbers sufficient to yield reliable results regarding compliance with the youth access law. Kansas is required to maintain a compliance rate of 80 percent or better for these inspections. Of the approximately 3,000 licensed tobacco retailers in Kansas, 650 outlets are randomly selected each year for inspection. The inspections are conducted by government agents working for “Alcoholic Beverage Control,” a division of the Kansas State Department of Revenue.
States that fail to meet the Synar Amendment requirements stand to lose millions of dollars in federal funds for substance abuse prevention and treatment. The law declares that up to 40% of the Substance Abuse and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant funds can be withheld if the targeted compliance is not achieved.
It’s Everybody’s Business re-launched…
In 2005, for the first time in its history, Kansas failed to meet the Synar Amendment compliance rate. Kansas tobacco retailers were either knowingly or unknowingly disobeying the law. It was at this time that a group of state agencies and organizations came together to re-launch a major campaign, known as “It’s Everybody’s Business” to help tobacco retailers understand the law and deter attempts by youth to purchase tobacco products. First launched in 1999 by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the IEB campaign was re-launched as a collaborative effort in 2005 by the following: Kansas Social and Rehabilitation Services/Addiction and Prevention Services Division; Kansas Regional Prevention Centers; Kansas Department of Revenue/Alcoholic Beverage Control Division; Kansas Department of Health and Environment/Tobacco Use Prevention Program; Tobacco Free Kansas Coalition; Governor’s Grants Office; and Kansas Family Partnership, Inc.
Tobacco Retailer Education & Resources Provided Free…
The IEB campaign provides tobacco retailers with many free educational resources including: employee training videos; training manuals, printed materials for employees and customers, in-store signage, and an informational website.
Media campaigns are ongoing throughout the state to keep communities informed of the tobacco access laws and involved in the effort to stop youth access to tobacco.
Protecting Kansas Kids against tobacco is everybody’s business…
Studies across the U.S. have shown that retailer education programs and strict law enforcement of tobacco sales have been successful in reducing sales to youth. Parents, educators, health professionals, businesses, law enforcement officials, church leaders, and other concerned citizens have many free resources available to them. Please join others in this important cause. For the sake of our young people, none of us can afford to look the other way. Protecting Kansas kids against the addictive and deadly risks of tobacco use is everybody’s business.
