Helping Reduce Underage Tobacco Use



Kids should not smoke, vape or use any tobacco products. It's a goal we share with public health, policy makers, parents, youth-serving organizations and many others who care about young people making healthy decisions.
As the nation's leading tobacco companies, we have an important role in reducing underage tobacco use. For more than two decades, Altria's tobacco companies have made significant investments to prevent kids from using tobacco. These efforts include:​
  • supporting programs and organizations that positively influence kids and their decision not to engage in risky behaviors like tobacco use;
  • supporting trade programs, retailer training and legislative efforts that help prevent underage access to tobacco products; and
  • taking steps designed to limit reach of their brands and marketing materials to unintended audiences.
Today, underage use of conventional tobacco products is at the lowest levels in a generation. Retailers are more effective at keeping tobacco products out of kids' hands. And the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation covers nearly every aspect of how tobacco products are manufactured, marketed and sold.​
Despite these gains, our industry faces a new challenge – an alarming and significant rise in youth use of e-vapor. The FDA and Surgeon General have called the increase an epidemic and said more must be done. We agree. The rise of youth vaping is a serious issue that immediately needs to be addressed. We support the FDA's commitment to leverage its authority and resources to take additional steps to address these new, emerging issues associated with underage use, while continuing the progress that's been made on traditional products.
​Altria is committed to being part of the solution. In addition to our long-standing efforts, we're advocating for legislation to raise the minimum age for all tobacco products to 21. We believe this is the most effective step available to reverse rising underage e-vapor rates. Data shows that youth under 18 get tobacco products – including e-vapor – primarily through social sources, like friends or siblings who are 18 or older. Approximately 80 percent of high school students in the U.S. turn 18 years old before they graduate. By raising the minimum age to 21, no high school student should be able to purchase tobacco products legally.​

​As we take additional steps to reduce youth vaping, addressing underage use of traditional tobacco products remains our priority. And the most important way we can make sure kids don’t use any tobacco products is to limit access and appeal.​
Our approach is informed by positive youth development theory, which teaches that emphasizing protective factors in kids' lives – such as positive relationships and activities – and reducing risk factors, helps kids make healthy decisions and resist a broad range of risky behaviors, including tobacco use.​
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Success 360​​°​
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Through our Success360°​ initiative, Altria's tobacco companies invest in leading youth-serving organizations such as 4-H, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Clubs, Communities in Schools and The First Tee​. Collectively, our partners reach more than 17 million kids with a range of programs, including mentoring, proven effective adolescent substance abuse preven​tion and tobacco cessation programs.​​
Learn More​
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Underage Access Prevention at Retail​​​​
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Our companies' retail programs include several requirements and financial incentives to help prevent underage access to tobacco ​products. The requirements include teaching store clerks how to check IDs and placing We Card® or equivalent signs in their stores. We also fund We Card, an organization that provides retailer training and resources to help prevent underage access. Retailers participating in our programs and their employees can access free We Card training through our retail trade website.​​
With our support, We Card has trained hundreds of thousands of retail employees and distributed millions of education and training materials.
Our tobacco companies also support programs and legislative efforts to prevent underage access to tobacco products at retail.​






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1Upon antitrust clearance
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3Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance includes a national school-based survey (Youth Risk Behavior Survey [YRBS]) conducted every two years that measures several health risk behaviors, including tobacco use, among students in grades 9 through 12.YRBS is a component of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Youth Risk Behavior Survey (9th-12th Graders)
   * Includes cigars, cigarillos or little cigars
  ** Includes chewing tobacco, snuff or dip
 
4Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (2015). Behavioral health trends in the United States: Results from the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Source : Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) : NSDUH, Retrieved from http://www.samhsa.gov/data/​​
 
5The Monitoring the Future study (MTF) is a national, annual school-based survey that measures the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol and drug use among U.S. middle and high school students (specifically in 8th, 10th and 12th grades). The study began in 1975 with 12th graders and in 1991 was expanded to include 8th and 10th graders. More than 40,000 students located in about 400 secondary schools are surveyed each year. MTF is conducted by the University of Michigan and sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one of the National Institutes of Health. Additional information about this study is available at : http://monitoringthefuture.org/. Source: Monitoring the Future (MTF) - % reporting smoking in the past 30 days
 
6The Monitoring the Future study (MTF) is a national, annual school-based survey that measures the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol and drug use among U.S. middle and high school students (specifically in 8th, 10th and 12th grades). The study began in 1975 with 12th graders and in 1991 was expanded to include 8th and 10th graders. More than 40,000 students located in about 400 secondary schools are surveyed each year. MTF is conducted by the University of Michigan and sponsored by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one of the National Institutes of Health. Additional information about this study is available at : http://monitoringthefuture.org/. Source: Monitoring the Future (MTF) - % reporting taking or using smokeless tobacco (snuff, plug, dipping tobacco, chewing tobacco) in the past 30 days.
 
7FFY 2014 Annual Synar Report
 
8Based on ALCS analysis of National Youth Risk Behavior Survey data
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