Commercial Tobacco Prevention and Treatment Program: Youth Programs

Become an FDA underage purchaser

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) underage purchasers conduct tobacco compliance checks to make sure tobacco retailers are following the law and not selling tobacco to underage customers. The federal tobacco sales age is 21. Underage purchasers are supervised by an adult FDA Inspector during the process.

• Applicants must be between 16-20 years old. This program is for Wisconsin residents only.
• Applicants must complete mandatory online training and submit all required paperwork.
• FDA underage purchasers are paid $15.50/hour to conduct tobacco compliance checks after school, on weekends, during the summer break, and holidays.
• Underage purchasers will not need to travel for this position. An adult FDA inspector will pick them up and drive them to where the checks will occur.
• To remain anonymous, underage purchasers will not conduct checks in their same town or neighborhood.
• To apply for consideration, complete the FDA Underage Purchaser Screening Application. Upon receipt, an adult FDA inspector will be in contact to discuss next steps in the application process.

The Tobacco Compliance Check Program is funded by the FDA to protect the health of future generations.

For more information, contact Jill McCormick, FDA state program coordinator, Wisconsin Tobacco Prevention and Control Program, at Jill.McCormick@dhs.wisconsin.gov or call 608-266-1440.

Apply to be an underage purchaser

Preventing underage tobacco and vape sales

Wisconsin Wins is a statewide program established in 2002 to help reduce tobacco sales to Wisconsin minors. Underage sales went from 33.7% in 2001 to 5.5% in 2019. However, retailer inspections were halted during the pandemic, and the federal tobacco legal sales age was raised from 18 to 21 in late 2019. As a result, underage tobacco and vape sales rose sharply and as of 2023 they are 13.6%. The Wisconsin Wins program is back in full operation. It uses an effective mix of retailer outreach and oversight to keep teens and young adults away from commercial tobacco and vape products by:

• Partnering with local law enforcement to conduct unannounced inspections at tobacco retail outlets to track Wisconsin retailer compliance with the federal tobacco 21 sales law. Visit WI Wins to see the local youth access rate in your county.
• Providing WITobaccoCheck.org, a free training and educational resource that helps retailers understand how to comply with the law. Training resources are available at WITobaccoCheck.org.
• Engaging in community outreach and education to communicate the importance of preventing underage tobacco sales. Learn more about the federal tobacco 21 law at Tobacco 21.

For more information, contact Nancy Michaud, Youth Access Program Coordinator, Wisconsin Commercial Tobacco Prevention and Treatment Program, at Nancy.Michaud@dhs.wisconsin.gov or call 608-266-0181.

Visit WI Wins

Youth Advocacy

FACT, Wisconsin’s youth tobacco prevention movement, empowers more than 1,000 young people in grades 7-12 in about 20 groups throughout the state to spread the truth about tobacco and nicotine. FACT members lead advocacy initiatives including peer-to-peer education, media outreach, and meeting with state and local leaders. It is a great opportunity for young people interested in civic engagement, pre-law, health careers, and/or those who have a specific experience with tobacco and nicotine that inspires change. Members' efforts have helped reduce youth tobacco and vape use and have played an integral part in changing community and statewide policy. The movement is managed by the American Lung Association and is designed to reduce the burden of tobacco and nicotine among young people in Wisconsin.

For more information, visit FACT or contact Zoe Hurdle, Health Promotions Specialist for the American Lung Association, at Zoe.Hurdle@lung.org or call 262-703-4833.

Visit FACT

Tobacco and nicotine prevention, intervention and cessation in schools

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) provides training and support to schools that seek to implement CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines for school health programs to help prevent tobacco and vape use and addiction. Schools can also get assistance to craft tobacco-and nicotine-free school policies.

For assistance with these policy and programmatic issues, contact Meg Whaley, Physical Education and Health Education Consultant at the Wisconsin DPI, at Meg.Whaley@dpi.wi.gov or call 608-267-4597.

Not On Tobacco® (N-O-T)

Started in 1998, N-O-T is an evidence-based program designed for teens aged 14-19 who wish to quit their nicotine addiction. The program, a 10-session curriculum led by trained adult facilitators, takes a holistic approach and covers the entire quitting process, including the prevention of relapses. Young people who want to access N-O-T online can visit notforme.org, the ALA recently developed NOT for Me, a voluntary, self-paced online cessation program.

For more information about this program, contact Kim Larson, Health Promotions Manager for the American Lung Association in Wisconsin, at Kim.Larson@lung.org or call 262-395-1276.

Visit notforme.org

INDEPTH

INDEPTH, or Intervention for Nicotine Dependence: Education, Prevention, Tobacco and Health, is an alternative to suspension or citation program for young people. INDEPTH is taught by a trained adult in four 50-minute sessions. Each session addresses a different tobacco- or vape-related issue and can be facilitated either one-on-one or in a group setting. The goal is to educate students about nicotine dependence and cravings and ultimately guide them through the process of identifying their own reasons for chewing, smoking or vaping tobacco products.

For more information about this program, contact Kim Larson, Health Promotions Manager for the American Lung Association in Wisconsin, at Kim.Larson@lung.org or call 262-395-1276.

Tobacco-free college campus efforts

Visit Spark, a Wisconsin-wide program that helps college campuses pass tobacco- and nicotine-free policies and educate campus communities that tobacco abuse, in any form, can be deadly. SPARK offers students, faculty, and staff a platform and an opportunity to be an advocate for policies that ignite change on their campus.

For more information about Spark, contact Kaylee Wagner, Health Promotions Coordinator for the American Lung Association in Wisconsin, at Kaylee.Wagner@Lung.org or call 262-923-2743.

Visit Spark