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Improving Lives

Engage Douglas County conducts Reward and Reminder tobacco prevention program

Engage Douglas County representatives from Lawrence Douglas County Public Health, Douglas County Youth Prevention and DCCCA conducted Reward and Reminder visits to local retailers encouraging them not to sell tobacco to minors. Reward and Reminder is an evidence-based program that rewards businesses who don’t sell tobacco to youth and reminds others about the consequences of underage tobacco use. In total, 85% of retailers asked for identification and refused to sell to underage customers.

“Many store managers were excited to learn that their employees followed training protocols and prevented tobacco sales to minors,” DCCCA Chief Community-Based Services Officer Chrissy Mayer said. “Managers at retailers that received reminders understood the need to review Tobacco 21 law and tobacco purchase procedures with their employees.”

Before visiting stores, the Reward and Reminder program offers training for youth. Teams of two youth are then accompanied by an adult and attempt to purchase tobacco. If the clerk stops the sale, the clerk and store get rewarded. If the clerk continues, the youth terminate the sale and the clerk gets a verbal warning (from an adult) and reminder card.

The next step is to bring youth to these same locations to conduct environmental assessments. The goal is to help gain a better understanding of what alcohol and tobacco products and promotions look like in the community and how that may influence underage use.

Below is a list of rewarded retailers that were visited during the Summer 2022 period.

Baldwin City

  • Casey’s at 511 Ames St
  • Dollar General at 110 8th St
  • Kwik Shop at 522 Ames St

Eudora

  • Casey’s at 1401 Church St
  • Family Dollar at 1501 Church St
  • Gene’s Heartland Foods at 1402 Church St
  • Kwik Shop at 1436 Church St

Lawrence

  • Clinton Stop at 2301 Wakarusa Dr Ste A
  • Corner Market at 1802 W 23rd St
  • Dillons at 4701 W 6th St
  • Dillons at 1740 Massachusetts St
  • Dillons at 1015 W 23rd St
  • Dollar General at 1940 Haskell Ave
  • Haskell Food Mart at 1900 Haskell Ave
  • Kwik Shop at 1611 E 23rd St
  • Kwik Shop at 2100 W 25th St
  • Kwik Shop at 1846 Massachusetts St
  • Kwik Shop at 4841 W 6th St
  • QuikTrip at 900 Iowa St
  • QuikTrip at 1020 E 23rd St
  • Walmart at 550 Congressional Dr
  • Walgreens at 400 W 23rd St