Rock Rapids, Iowa — The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office reports that they have again taken a pledge to keep tobacco and related products out of the hands of Lyon County youth.
Known as I-Pledge, the program is a partnership with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division (ABD) to educate local retailers and to enforce the law. Since the program’s inception in 2000, the statewide tobacco compliance rate has grown by 91%.
Lyon County Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep says they’ve been participating in the program for a long time.
Vander Stoep says it’s been a while since any retailers have been charged.
He says if a clerk sells tobacco products to an underage person, it is the business that gets fined, but it’s never good news for the clerk. He tells us what they have seen happen.
He says I-Pledge places emphasis on retailer training. Clerks who successfully complete an online training course and then pass an exam will become I-Pledge certified. This allows a retail establishment to use an affirmative defense against a civil penalty if the certified clerk makes an illegal sale.
Vander Stoep says handing out citations is not the intent of the I-Pledge Program.
He says programs are put on occasionally to certify clerks. By partnering with the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division, Vander Stoep says they hope to educate clerks and maintain a compliant retail environment.
Vander Stoep reminds people that not only are cigarettes and smokeless tobacco illegal for minors, but the new e-cigarettes are as well.
He says that to take the I-Pledge training or search certification records you can visit abd.iowa.gov
