WASHINGTON, D.C. – Retailers may think that to fully comply with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) requirements all they have to do is card any customer who appears to be under the age of 27 for tobacco purchases and not sell such substances to minors. But there’s more to it than that.

We Card has condensed the agency’s compliance data to help tobacco retailers stay in compliance. We Card waded through all the regulations and language in order to assist retailers in better understanding these important guidelines.

The summary provided here includes synopsis of the Tobacco Control Act, FDA Guidance Tobacco Retailer Training Programs Sept 2013 and Compliance with Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents August 2013.

While not legal advice, We Card’s summary provides a good overview of how the regulations work and what retailers need to know. Agency enforcement data through the end of 2013 shows that more than 117,000 compliance checks were completed in 2013, exceeding the 95,000 checks of 2012.

More than 249,000 compliance checks have been completed from 2010 to December 2013. Forty-five states, including the District of Columbia, have agency enforcement contracts, while 47 states plus Washington, D.C., show enforcement activity.