
How to tackle youth access prevention amid regulatory shifts
Flavor bans, state age limits and a surging illicit vape market are reshaping compliance for convenience retailers nationwide. In this episode of CSP's "At Your Convenience" podcast, Mark Braden, vice president of strategic engagement at Reynolds American Inc.; Peter Brennan, executive director at the New England Convenience Store and Energy Marketers Association; Doug Anderson, president at The We Card Program Inc.; and Stephanie Sikorski, vice president of strategic initiatives at NACS and CEO of TruAge, discussed how retailers can navigate shifting regulations while preventing youth access to age-restricted products. The conversation covered FDA guidance, state-level flavor restrictions and the real-world friction retailers face when verifying customer age. The panel emphasized ongoing employee training, in-store compliance checks and digital age-verification tools like TruAge as essential strategies for retailers aiming to sell responsibly in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

