New York Retailers to Start Tobacco/Alcohol Sales Training Next Month

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Members of two New York retail trade groups will hold training sessions next month to arm their employees with "real life" techniques for preventing the sale of tobacco and alcohol to underage consumers.

The organization behind the effort is the Responsible Retailers of New York, a joint educational initiative of the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) and the Food Industry Alliance of New York State (FIANYS). Organizers said the program is a two-and-a-half-hour workshop, which targets owners, operators, and employees of convenience stores, supermarkets, service stations, and other establishments licensed to sell tobacco products and/or alcoholic beverages.

Employing major elements of the national "We Card" program, the course has been approved by both the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Liquor Authority as a certified sales training program.

In the past year, at least 3,500 stores in the state have been fined for selling age-restricted products to minors, and about 100 have lost their tobacco, lottery, or liquor licenses because of underage sales. New York state law rewards voluntary action by retailers to proactively train and certify their employees before such sales happen.

The initiative's course covers Tobacco and Alcohol Laws and Penalties, Restricted Products and Prohibited Sales, Acceptable Forms of Identification. How to Properly Examine ID, How to Spot Fake ID, Required Signage & License Posting, Tobacco Self-Service Restrictions, How to Confidently Refuse Sales, How to Handle Customer Conflict, and Tools and Resources. From July 10 through July 27, one class each will be held in Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Oneonta, Newburgh, and Albany.

For more information: Call 800-336-9227 or visit http://www.nyacs.org.
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