The state of Vermont is joining 41 other states in an agreement that calls on a convenience store chain to take steps to reduce the sale of tobacco products to minors.

The agreement covers about 4,000 convenience store operations that operate under the names Circle K, Dairymart, and On The Run.
Vermont's announcement follows the approvement of the agreement by Washington, Ohio, Alabama, Kentucky and other states last week.
Under the agreement, called an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance, Circle K will pay USD 225,000 to the attorney general for consumer education initiatives and will adopt procedures to cut sales to minors. Latter include the limitation of in-store advertising of tobacco to reduce the effect on young people, and the elimination of outdoor advertising at stores within 500 feet of playgrounds or schools.
Circle K said it will test itself on the effectiveness of its own safeguards against underage sales by conducting "mystery shopper" compliance checks at 500 of its stores every six months.
Fourty one states and the District of Columbia are parties to the agreement with Circle K Stores and Mac's Convenience Stores, reports AP. (pi)