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Ottumwa Hy-Vee Stores to Check All IDs for Tobacco, Booze
OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Hy-Vee stores in Ottumwa have started checking the identification of everyone who buys cigarettes or beer, even people in their 70s.
The checks started in November, when two grocery stores, a drugstore and a gas station began testing a new company policy of scanning everyone's identification before they buy alcohol or tobacco. The company decided to get more aggressive after the drugstore was cited for multiple offenses of selling to minors or not asking for identification, the Ottumwa Courier reported. In order for any sale of tobacco or alcohol to go through, cashiers must scan a driver's license or other identification, store director Jason Bishop said. "If any employees have the capability of overriding for someone 75 years old, they can do it for their 16-year-old buddy. We don't want to put that power in their hands," Bishop said. The new policy protects consumers' right to buy but also protects the company from more problems, Bishop said. If the Ottumwa Hy-Vee Drugstore gets one more citation for selling to minors, it may not be able to sell tobacco or alcohol, he said. Customers' comments on the ID checks have been mostly positive. "Most customers understand exactly why we're doing it, and they agree that we need to protect and keep these out of the hands of minors," Bishop said. He said the bar code scanned on the ID only gives a date of birth. Names and addresses are not recorded. When the cashier scans the ID, the cash register shows that it's valid and can proceed with the sale. The previous way in which employees entered a birthday made it easy to bypass. "What this does is it takes all the errors out of it," Bishop said, noting he believes other retailers will follow suit. More Good Stuff |
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