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New Age Verification App for Tobacco Retailers: When Basic Arithmetic Doesn't Work


Any cigar retailer who can't calculate their customers' age using simple mathematics, need not be in business...


The US Food and Drug Administration's Center for Tobacco Products announced the availability of their new smartphone app to assist with age verification.


The FDA Releases Age Calculator App for Tobacco Retailers Age ID App



Courtesy of Center for Tobacco Products, US Food & Drug Administration

The FDA recently released a free, voluntary smartphone application, “FDA Age Calculator,” on the Google Play and iTunes app stores to help retailers comply with age restriction laws. With the “FDA Age Calculator,” retailers can use their personal smartphones to help determine if the purchaser is old enough under federal law to buy tobacco products. Using the camera feature on a smartphone, the app is able to scan the driver’s license of the purchaser to determine if the customer is at least 18 years of age (the federal minimum age to buy a tobacco product). The birthdate listed on the photo ID can also be manually entered into the app by the retailer for a quick age calculation.


Importantly, the customer’s personal information is not transmitted or shared and is not saved in the app, the retailer’s smartphone, or a third-party or government server.

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