Nonprofit trains retailers to spot ‘social sourcing’ of age-restricted products by minors

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Federal law prohibits anyone under 21 from buying alcohol, vapes or nicotine pouch products, and retailers check IDs to enforce the restriction. Minors, however, most often report obtaining these items by getting someone of legal age to buy them — a practice known as social sourcing.

We Card, a national nonprofit, trains retail owners and employees to spot underage buyers as well as the adults who purchase products for them. Doug Anderson, president of the We Card program, discussed the issue in an interview.

What is We Card?

Anderson said the We Card program has served retailers of age-restricted products across all 50 states and Washington, D.C., for three decades. The program provides training, tools, technology and educational resources to help businesses comply with federal, state and local laws.

Retailers need to train new staff and provide refresher courses for veteran employees, Anderson said. He noted the training emphasizes customer service so patrons feel comfortable returning to purchase other legal goods.

Young people often carry professional-looking counterfeit IDs, making it harder for clerks to intercept sales. We Card trains employees to spot fake cards and encourages the use of ID-scanning technology. Expired IDs are also invalid because someone other than the cardholder may use them, and workers are trained to deny those transactions.

What is social sourcing?

Social sourcing occurs when an underage person asks an adult to purchase or provide an age-restricted product on their behalf, Anderson said. The practice also includes bumming, borrowing or sharing products among minors.

According to Anderson, social sourcing has become the primary way minors report gaining access to vaping products. In previous years, youth more frequently obtained traditional tobacco or cigarettes through other channels.

Retailers are taught to watch for common indicators, such as a minor handing cash to an adult in a parking lot before the adult enters the store to buy age-restricted goods. Clerks also report instances at the counter where a 17-year-old is denied a purchase, then steps aside while a 21-year-old companion attempts to buy the same items. Anderson said those transactions must be refused.

We Card Awareness Month

September marks We Card Awareness Month, when the organization urges retailers to step up compliance training, refresh employee education and conduct mystery shops to verify staff members are carding customers properly.

Anderson said community members can take two key actions: thank retail workers when they see them asking for ID or displaying We Card signage, and talk with teenagers and adults 21 and older about social sourcing. Anderson noted that social sourcing accounts for roughly 80% of how minors obtain age-restricted products. We Card is running an in-store campaign reminding adults that buying products for minors is illegal and encouraging them to refuse requests.

Where to find more information

Retailers can visit WeCard.org for training modules, compliance tools, mystery shopping services and signage. Businesses are currently preparing updated store signage for 2027. The public can find additional resources at BeARealInfluencer.com or WeCardWeCare.com.