Tobacco Prevention

Voluntary Compliance Checks: Working with Retailers to Stay in Compliance

The Prevention Resource Center-Region 8 completes over 1800 voluntary compliance checks with tobacco retailers each year within in the 28 counties of Region 8. Voluntary compliance checks is a prevention strategy of the Synar Law, which was created in 1992. Congressman Mike Synar of Oklahoma introduced an amendment which required States to enact and enforce laws prohibiting any manufacturer, retailer, or distributor from selling or distributing tobacco and was aimed at decreasing access to tobacco products among individuals under age 18. Click here to read more on the Synar Law.

A voluntary compliance check consist of checking to see if all tobacco products are locked and behind point of sale, checking to see if the tobacco retailer permit is valid and not expired, making sure proper signage is on display, and leaving a packet of from the State Comptroller’s Office with proper signage and information a tobacco retailer should know. We also remind tobacco retailers about the penalties of selling minors to anyone under the age of 18.

If you are a tobacco retailer and would like more information, call us a (210) 225-4741.

To request Tobacco Warning Sign #96-536 from the Texas Comptroller’s Office, call 1-800-862-2260.

Retail sales of tobacco to underage youth
Failure to post tobacco warning signs in stores that sell tobacco products
Outdoor tobacco advertising within a 1,000 feet of a church or a school
Failure to possess and post a tobacco retailers permit
Sales of unpackaged cigarettes
Sales of cigarettes in packages containing less than twenty cigarettes
Minors under 21 who are in possession of tobacco products
Suspected criminal activity regarding tobacco smuggling, counterfeit tobacco permits, or tobacco tax fraud

Texas PRC Tobacco Prevention Coordinators

Region 1

Justin Turner
City of Lubbock Public Health Department
806 18th St.
Lubbock, Texas 79401
Phone: 806-775-2968
Toll-free:
Email: justinturner@mail.ci.lubbock.tx.us
Web Page: http://www.prc1.org

Region 2

Sandra Walls
Abilene Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (ARCADA)
104 Pine St., Suite 4
Abilene, Texas 79601-5926
Phone: (325)673-2242 Fax: (325)673-3717
Toll-free: (800)588-8728
Email: sandra.walls@arcadatx.org
Web Page: http://www.prc2.org

Region 3

Angel Estrada
The Recovery Resource Council
1349 Empire Central Drive, Ste. 800
Dallas, Texas 75247
Phone: 214/522-8600 Fax: 214/521-7253
Toll-free: 800/246-HOPE (4673)
Email:a.estrada@recoverycouncil.org
Web Page: http://www.prc3.org

Region 4

Chris Dolph
East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (ETCADA)
708 Glencrest Lane,
Longview, TX 756017
Phone: (903) 753-7633 Fax: (903) 753-5692
Toll-free: (800) 441-8639
Email: cdolph@etcada.com
Web Page: www.prcfour.org

Region 5

Linda Smith
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Deep East Texas
304 N Raguet
Lufkin, Texas 75904
Phone: (936) 634-5753 Fax:(936) 639-2638
Toll-free: (844) 772-3483
Email: lsmith@adacdet.org
Web Page: www.prc5.org

Region 6

Marie Perez,BPH
The Council on Recovery
303 Jackson Hill St., Houston, TX 77007
Houston, Texas 77252-2768
Phone: (713) 942-4100 Fax: (713) 400-6684
Toll-free: (855) 942-4100
Email: mperez@councilonrecovery.org
Web Page: http://www.prc6.org

Region 7

Brandy Green
Brazos Valley Council on Alcohol and Substance Abuse (BVCASA)
4001 E 29th St., Ste. 90
Bryan, Texas 77802
Phone: (979) 846-3560 Fax: (979) 846-3213
Toll-free: (866) 448-1699
Email: bgreen@bvcasa.org
Web Page: http://prcseven.org/

Region 8

Vacant
San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Awareness (SACADA)
7500 Hwy. 90 West, Ste. 100
San Antonio, Texas 78227
Phone: (210)225-4741
Fax: (210)225-4768
Email:
Web Page: www.prcregion8.org

Region 9

Mollie Vega
Permian Basin Regional Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
102 E. Second Street
Odessa, TX 79761
Phone: (432) 333-4100 Fax: (432) 580-5134
Toll-Free: (800) 332-2174
Email: mvega@pbrcada.org
PRC Webpage: www.reg9prc.org

Region 10

Jose Minjarez
Aliviane, Inc.
1626 Medical Center, 3^rd Floor, Prevention Dept.
El Paso, Texas 79902
Phone: (915) 782-4000 Fax: (915) 782-4274
Toll-free: (844) PRC-TX10
Email: jminjarez@aliviane.org
Web Page: www.prc10.net

Region 11

Daniel Rodriguez
Behavioral Health Solutions of South Texas (BHSST)
5510 N Cage Blvd., Ste. C
PHARR, Texas 78577
Phone: (956) 787-7111 Fax: (956) 781-1970
Toll-free: (866) 484-9689
Email: drodriguez@bhsst.org
Web Page: http://www.prc11.org