The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities recently launched an educational campaign reminding retailers who sell tobacco to check the ID of anyone who looks under the age of 26. The "Check It" campaign coincides with the Synar program and emphasizes the danger and consequences of selling tobacco products to minors, which could result in fines, jail time and job loss.

"Georgia has been in compliance with state laws and has remained below the national average since the Office of Prevention Services Program assumed responsibility for Synar several years ago," said Travis Fretwell, assistant executive director of the Division of Addictive Diseases. "The ‘Check It’ campaign reminds retailers and patrons through a fun, light-hearted mascot that negligence will not be tolerated."

"Check It" commercials started airing June 15 and can be viewed on various Comcast cable stations throughout metro Atlanta as well as on www.comcast.net. Ads can also be heard on radio stations such as the Georgia News Network, Total Traffic Network, 640 WGST, 92.3 FM, 94.9 The Bull, 105.3 El Patron, Wild 105.7 & 96.7, Project 9-6-1, and iHeartRadio. Network television stations will begin running ads in various Georgia cities, including Augusta, Macon, Savannah, Valdosta and Columbus, on July 9.

To view the ad, visit http://youtu.be/8Oynfwi3ynw or visit the Synar Tobacco Prevention Facebook page for more info at http://www.facebook.com/pages/SYNAR-Tobacco-Prevention-1-877-CHECK-ID/99770739834?ref=ts.

To read Georgia’s Synar Report, visit http://dbhdd.georgia.gov/prevention.