Iowa is one of 43 states that’ve come to an agreement with the nation’s largest oil company for stricter standards to prevent minors from buying tobacco products in their gas stations. Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller says the Exxon-Mobil Corporation agreed to the changes after facing possible legal action. He says Exxon-Mobil adopted standards for hiring and training employees who sell tobacco products and are instructing clerks to i-d anybody under 27 years of age. Miller says the changes involve re-shaping the coporate culture of the company. They’ve gone so far as to consider this issue when hiring and do checks to see if potential employees and managershave had problems with the under-age sale of tobacco. Miller says Exxon-Mobil has only 16 stores in Iowa, but the deal is likely to be a blueprint for others. Miller says there aren’t any other deals pending at this time, but the state’s top lawyers are having discussions with other companies, and he says they hope those companies will voluntarily make changes. Exxon-Mobil has operations in Des Moines, Ames, Davenport, Cedar Falls, Dubuque, Bellevue, Le Claire, Maquoketa, Peosta and Luxemburg.
