Chevron in Pact to Curb Cigarette Sales to Minors

Chevron Corp. reached an agreement Thursday with 27 states and the District of Columbia to take steps to reduce the sale of cigarettes to minors at its retail outlets.

Chevron will ensure that employees who sell tobacco at 9,100 U.S. locations are at least 18 years old, post signs about checking identification, set up security cameras to record sales and make other changes to reduce tobacco sales to minors, California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer said.

“We owe it to our children to do everything we can to keep them from starting a habit that kills,” Lockyer said in a statement.

“This agreement means it will be much harder for minors to try to purchase tobacco products at any existing or newly created Chevron outlets,” Pennsylvania Atty. Gen. Tom Corbett said in a statement.

A call to the media line at San Ramon, Calif.-based Chevron wasn’t immediately returned.

Chevron is the 10th major retailer to agree to new policies to reduce tobacco sales to minors, Corbett said. Previous multi-state agreements included such companies as 7-Eleven Inc., CVS Corp., Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Walgreen Co. and Rite Aid Corp., he said.

Gasoline stations operating under the Conoco, Phillips 66 or 76, Exxon, Mobil, BP, Amoco and Arco brand names have entered similar accords, Corbett said.