The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office is taking a new approach, pledging to keep tobacco, vapor products, and alternative nicotine from being sold to underage individuals. I-PLEDGE is a partnership program with the Iowa Department of Revenue (IDR), which aims to educate retailers in the area and enforce Iowa’s tobacco and vapor product laws, increasing compliance with these regulations. I-PLEDGE focuses on retailer training, using an online module, and having clerks pass an exam to become certified. Once certified, clerks are prepared to refuse an illegal sale of tobacco or vapor products and maintain a responsible establishment. As part of the program, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Department will conduct checks on the local retailers, ensuring underage customers cannot purchase products while under a supervised watch. Calhoun County Sheriff Pat Riley says, “By partnering with the Iowa Department of Revenue, we hope to educate clerks and maintain a compliant retail environment in our community. Moreover, we pledge to help keep tobacco, alternative nicotine, and vapor products out of the hands of underage persons in Iowa.”
