Prevention

NEW RETAILER TRAINING AVAILABLE!

The Show Me Education and Compliance training is free for owners, managers, and clerks of establishments that sell tobacco and nicotine.

This training was developed to increase compliance with sale laws and to decrease sales and access to youth. Create a login and begin the course by clicking above.

Topics include:

The importance of addressing youth tobacco use in the retail environment.
Overview of federal, state, and local laws.
Overview of the various agencies responsible for the regulation and enforcement of the tobacco industry.
Assistance in the detection of false identification.

Learn about the Retail Corrective Statements

Tobacco companies were ordered by a federal court to issue corrective statements about the addictiveness of nicotine and the health risks of smoking and secondhand smoke. This signage should be displayed in all tobacco retail outlets. The order went into effect on July 1, 2023, and gave retailers three months to post the required corrective statements. Retailers are required to display the signs for 21 months thereafter and are “required to post the sign near the selling window, highly visible to the customer, and that can be seen by customers as they approach or are standing at the selling window.” To help Tobacco Retailers comply, they are strongly encouraged to utilize the FREE Show Me Education and Compliance Training above. Reducing youth access to tobacco at the retail level is one of the ways to prevent tobacco initiation. View the retail corrective statements HERE! Don’t see a corrective statement or see a blocked corrective statement? Submit a tip at tobaccosigntipline.com or text (877) 749-8477.

American Cancer Society Overview - Click to Download

23 Year History of the Racketeering Lawsuit Against the Tobacco Industry: Guilty of Deceiving the American Public

Find Social Media Resources from Tobacco Free Kids Below!

Corrective Statements: Retailer Compliance Checks

Preventing Youth and Young Adult Tobacco Use

Missouri is passionate about preventing youth substance use and has developed a collaborative network of prevention coalitions, agencies, and individuals to address community needs.

The Missouri Department of Mental Health’s Division of Behavioral Health provides funding to ten Prevention Resource Centers (PRCs) that provide technical assistance and support to community coalitions throughout the state.

Find the PRC that covers your community!

Hard Hitting Media Campaigns

Tobacco is Changing

Locate Your Legislator HERE!

Want to get involved in preventing youth tobacco use?

Learn about how Tobacco 21 or smoke-free ordinances are passed at the community level. Visit American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation for resources and guidance.
#BeTheFirst Tobacco Free Generation.
Reach out to the Youth Tobacco Use Prevention Specialist to get involved.
Share evidence-based information and resources with your community and community leaders.

Do your part to help Missouri lose its designation as a Tobacco Nation state.

E-cigarettes and Vaping

Click the video below to learn more about how vaping nicotine can negatively affect a teen’s mental health.

no vaping symbol

"VAPING" IS NOT THE SOLUTION. E-cigarettes are not safe.

There is no conclusive scientific evidence that e-cigarettes are safe. E-cigarettes are being incorrectly promoted as a quit aid, but these devices are not approved as a cessation aid by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Learn more at CDC.gov/e-cigarettes.

There are proven quit strategies and treatments available – counseling and FDA-approved medications have been shown to help tobacco users quit successfully. YouCanQuit.org can help you quit e-cigarettes.

Resources

Missouri schools can protect youth from tobacco use and exposure. Comprehensive tobacco and vape-free school policies that incorporate evidence-based prevention, cessation, and supportive discipline are the foundation for protecting youth from tobacco use and exposure in the school environment. Comprehensive tobacco and vape-free environments prevent youth initiation and use by changing the social norm and make it easier for youth to quit tobacco products.

See resources below for help implementing, communicating, and enforcing a comprehensive tobacco and vape-free school policy.