FEDS' ADVERTISING BLITZ WARNS RETAILERS TO KEEP TOBACCO FROM MINORS

WASHINGTON -- Stepping up the effort to curb teen smoking, federal
officials said Friday they will release radio spots and print advertising
in a number of states, including Texas, that stress retailers' duties not
to sell tobacco products to young people.

The $7 million campaign was announced by Vice President Al Gore, who has
become the administration's point man on tobacco and is featured in one
advertisement.

The ads underscore the federal ban on selling tobacco to anyone under 18
and of the requirement that retailers seek photo identification of anyone
under 27. Retailers who sell to minors face fines of at least $250.

"It is the store counter where too much teen smoking starts," Gore said.

The radio ads will begin this weekend in Arkansas and start in 10 other
states, including Texas, in the spring.

In Texas, the ads will complement a state advertising effort announced this
week that also targets teen smoking.

The federal ads, designed by Arnold Communications of Boston, often take a
humorous approach to remind retailers and consumers of the age
requirements.

In one ad, an announcer recites a list of silly laws including a Pocatello,
Idaho, ordinance prohibiting frowning, scowling, or grimacing within city
limits, and a Georgia prohibition on using obscene language in front of a
dead body.

"Yeah, there are some pretty stupid laws out there. But there's at least
one good one. It says that store owners have to ask for proof of your age
if you want to buy cigarettes or spit tobacco," the announcer says.

Another ad features the vice president telling listeners that "as Americans
we tend to have diverse viewpoints about important issues. But nearly
everyone agrees that no one should sell tobacco products to kids."

The print ads, intended to be posted in or around stores that sell tobacco,
urge consumers to be patient with retailers when they seek proof of age.

"This new I.D. law may be a pain. But its heart is in the right place,"
states one ad. Another takes a lighter approach.

"You need cigarettes? I need some I.D. Hey, we all got needs," it states.

Gore acknowledged that the burden of enforcing the law falls on retailers
who often face angry customers.

"When someone has a nicotine fit and comes in and confronts the retailer,
they already have an attitude," he said.

The age requirements are part of Food and Drug Administration regulations
that also mandate that states inspect stores to make sure that young people
are not buying tobacco products.

In Texas and other states, young volunteers are used to check if retailers
are violating the law.

Each state also is expected by 2003 to ensure that not more than about one
fifth of retailers are violating the age requirement.

An official with the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse said that a
recent check of 623 outlets found that 24 percent of them sold tobacco
products to minors.

While the FDA has moved ahead to crack down on teen smoking, the
administration is pushing Congress to approve more sweeping measures that
would curb the tobacco companies' ability to market their product and
extract hundreds of billions of dollars from the industry.

However, lawmakers are having trouble agreeing on the issue, and some GOP
leaders have predicted that Congress may only approve a limited measure
that increases tobacco taxes.

On Friday, Gore urged Congress to approve comprehensive anti- tobacco
legislation to deal with teen smoking.

"We can't do it with watered-down piecemeal action," Gore said.

Copyright 1998 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau