The North Liberty Police Department has taken a pledge to keep tobacco, alternative nicotine, and vapor products out of the hands of North Liberty underage persons, and will undertake compliance checks in the coming month.
Known as I-PLEDGE, the program is a partnership with Iowa Department of Revenue to educate local retailers and to enforce Iowa’s tobacco, alternative nicotine, and vapor product laws. Since the program’s inception in 2000, the statewide tobacco compliance rate has grown to exceed 90 percent. By participating in the program, the department has committed to do its part to increase the compliance rate even more this year.
I-PLEDGE places emphasis on retailer training. Clerks who successfully complete an online training course, then pass an exam, will become I-PLEDGE-certified. This allows a retail establishment to use an affirmative defense against a civil penalty, if the certified clerk makes an illegal sale…