An In-Depth Look at Bidi Vapor’s Retailer Pledge
Controlling underage vaping must be a collaboration between the policymakers and the vaping industry. Bidi Vapor stands by its promise of integrity and involves its retailers to join its advocacy to end this problem.
The Underage Vaping Problem
When vaping came into the scene in 2003, it had grown its market into massive proportions. However, this growth gave rise to a new problem that parents and the health sector had to deal with—underage vaping, wherein millions of adolescents have been hooked.
Adolescents are prohibited from vaping or using tobacco products because nicotine, the addictive chemical in these products, affects their brains’ development. The chemical has adverse effects on adolescent brain centers that control attention, impulse control, learning, and mood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Taking nicotine at a young age also makes them more prone to addiction to other harmful and prohibited substances.
Adolescents prefer flavored vapes that are fruity or sweet, according to the CDC. To curb this, the US FDA enforced more stringent measures to prevent them from accessing vapes and created policies for vape companies to market their products without adolescent appeal. These include changes in packaging, flavor, and advertising.
According to Time Magazine, the 2020 National Youth Tobacco Survey reported that about 20% of US high school students and 5% of middle school students had an e-cigarette in the last month, or about 3.6 million adolescents. This number has decreased from 27.5% and 10.5% from 2019, yet this current number is still alarming.
Bidi Vapor: A Brand with Integrity
New regulations imposed by the FDA forced vape companies to adjust to many things to abide by these. One vape company, Bidi Vapor, took this new advocacy seriously by introducing multi-level age-gating measures and involving its retail partners in brick-and-mortar stores. These age-gating measures are integrated into its online stores and physical stores. Federal and state laws prohibit the sale of vape products to individuals under 21 years old.
The Retailer Pledge
Once retailers sign up to become official distributors of the BIDI® Stick, they must sign a Retailer Pledge. The Pledge is a set of clear and specific guidelines set by Bidi Vapor in compliance with underage vaping restrictions. Retailers who affix their signature to the Pledge affirm their commitment to observe the restrictions. Violating the terms of the agreement under the Retailer Pledge means holding retailers and other supply chain partners accountable and imposing specific, concrete penalties for non-compliance, such as forfeiting the right to distribute the BIDI® Stick.
Comprehensive Age-Verification Process
Bidi Vapor’s partnering retail stores are required to follow our strict age-verification process. All in-store sales transaction require consumers to present a government-issued identification to verify that they are at least 21 years old before making a purchase. Bidi Vapor also requires their retailers to only allow BIDI® Stick purchases via vending machines in adult-only facilities.
Mystery Shoppers and Employee Training
Moreover, to ensure that the pledge terms are observed, Bidi Vapor sends mystery shoppers to its retail partner stores. Retailers are required to establish a hotline to report non-compliant sales. They must also have their employees undergo comprehensive training on regulations and guidelines prohibiting the product’s sale to individuals under 21 years old and youth access prevention. Lastly, their employees must sign an acknowledgment form, saying they read and understood the guidelines. For non-compliant partners, severe penalties will be imposed if violations are verified and proven true.
Other Terms
Other terms in the Pledge include:
- Prohibiting the distribution of free samples to customers,
- No bundling of BIDI® Sticks as part of promotions of other e-cigarettes or other consumable products,
- Conducting routine audit
- Advertising restrictions of the BIDI® Stick without the permission of Bidi Vapor,
- Not marketing the BIDI® Stick as a therapeutic or smoking cessation tool or as a healthier option than other tobacco products, and
- Not opening and redistributing the products in smaller amounts.
What Happens if Retailers Breach the Pledge?
Bidi Vapor does not allow establishments or entities with a history of selling to underage individuals to become retailers of the BIDI® Stick. However, if it discovers that a retailer breaches the Pledge, Bidi Vapor has the right enforce disciplinary sanctions for the committed violation.
The Retailer Pledge may have many restrictions, but it is necessary to observe how to protect the youth and follow the law. Bidi Vapor also wants its retailers to adopt a similar mindset and advocacy on youth protection.