Awareness Week for age-restricted products

The somewhat cumbersomely titled ‘Show Me ID - Be Age OK Awareness Week’ was launched by Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald TD recently with the aim of preventing the sale of age-restricted products to minors.

The campaign has the support of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association, RGDATA, the National Federation of Retail Newsagents, Japan Tobacco International, the VFI, NOffLA and the South Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

“It’s important to assist those at the front line, the retailers, by giving them easy access to support materials and information,” stated the Minister at the launch, “I’m very pleased that all trade associations involved have been able to do this with the Show Me ID – Be Age OK campaign”.

Show Me ID – Be Age OK was first launched in July 2010. Since then the initiative has grown to become the youth access prevention programme of choice for many retailers nationwide, she added.

In order to promote the Show Me ID Awareness Week a nationwide media campaign is being rolled out. A campaign poster will appear on over 1,200 tobacco-vending machines around Ireland, a Show Me ID-branded token for cigarette vending machines will be distributed in bars and restaurants and Show Me ID promotional packs including folders, tee-shirts, caps and badges will also be provided to retail stores across the country.

Resource materials and a staff training programme are available on www.showmeid.ie which aims to advise retailers on how to avoid the underage sale of tobacco products.