Industry Views: NATO Membership: The Right Decision

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Almost 40,000 convenience stores have made the right decision and can call themselves NATO members. These retailers have made the decision to belong to the only national retail trade association that focuses all of its resources exclusively on tobacco-related issues. The issues that NATO works on encompass local, state, and federal tobacco legislation and FDA tobacco regulations.

As a NATO board member for the past 14 years and now NATO president, I attend many retail conferences and trade shows. At these events, I ask convenience retailers why they have not yet made the decision to join NATO. Their reply often is that they are members of other retail trade associations. That response, however, is the most important reason why they should join NATO.

NATO is unique among trade associations because it works only on tobacco issues. NATO staff members are experts on tobacco legislative and regulatory issues, with more than 100 years of combined experience in the industry. No other state or national retail organization offers that kind of exclusive focus and expert knowledge on the most important in-store product category for convenience stores.

The value of NATO membership is more than important; it is invaluable in the current legislative and regulatory environment.

If you are a NATO member, then you know what NATO has to offer. If you have yet to join NATO, I strongly urge you to read about the benefits and value of NATO membership below, then make the right decision and join the premier national retail tobacco trade association in the country.

Reasons to Sign Up

All Retailers Can Join: When NATO was created nearly 15 years ago, the association represented only tobacco outlets—thus the name National Association of Tobacco Outlets. However, the foresight of the NATO board of directors opened membership up to all categories of retailers, and over the past five years NATO retail membership has grown exponentially. So convenience stores are welcome to become members of NATO just as tobacco stores, service stations, grocery stores and liquor stores are.

Tobacco Specialization: NATO is the only national retail trade association that devotes all of its resources and staff to informing, advising and assisting tobacco retailers in responding to local, state and federal tobacco legislation and FDA regulations. NATO is the best ally that a retailer can have in protecting the right to promote and sell legal tobacco products.

Customized Legislative Advocacy: NATO was founded on the belief that tobacco retailers need to become engaged in the legislative process to protect the right to sell legal tobacco products in order to protect their businesses. This year, NATO launched a customized Web-based alert system that allows retail members the ability to send an email to lawmakers with just the click of a computer mouse. If a retailer operates one store or more, the customized system sends an e-mail letter to every lawmaker who represents each store simultaneously. This system is easy to use and will be very effective in helping retailers communicate with their elected officials.

NATO Local Project: The year 2015 marks the fourth year that the NATO Local Project has monitored and responded to proposed local retail tobacco restrictions and taxes. Since its launch, the NATO Local Project has helped retail stores in hundreds of cities and towns oppose restrictive regulations. Local tobacco regulations can be the most restrictive kind, but NATO is there to help. The mission of the NATO Local Project is to work to prevent unnecessary and overreaching regulations from becoming law. A recent example is the defeat of the proposed ban on the sale of all tobacco products in Westminster, Mass.

FDA Regulations: The NATO staff has a wealth of knowledge about FDA tobacco regulations and assists members in understanding regulatory requirements and how to comply with federal tobacco regulations.

News Resource: The NATO News Bulletin is an acclaimed electronic news report sent only to NATO members that contains up-to-date information about pending local, state and federal legislation and FDA regulations. The information that retailers need to know is found in the NATO News Bulletin.

Legal Resource: When a member has a legal question on legislation or FDA regulations, a call to NATO results in a prompt response from NATO executive director and legal counsel Thomas Briant. Take it from me and all of the other retailers who have called Tom: Having a lawyer who specializes in tobacco-related issues available to answer your questions is an invaluable resource.

Join the other 40,000 retail stores that have made the right decision and decide to become a NATO member. To join NATO, visit www.natocentral.org and click on Join, where you will find a retail membership application for your use.

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