Greeting from the Director J.R. Thomas

Thank you for taking time to visit the Arkansas Tobacco Control (ATC)’s website. Created in 1997 the agency’s primary mission and responsibility is to regulate the sale of tobacco in the State of Arkansas and enforce all laws pertaining to tobacco. The agency regulates tobacco wholesalers and retailers. Our job is to serve these businesses by helping them be aware of all the laws governing tobacco sales in Arkansas and to serve the citizens of our state in the process. An important role the agency plays is enforcing the tobacco sales to minor prohibition. This is done through free training provided to merchants, educational efforts and undercover operations that determine if retailers are complying with the law and protecting our youngest citizens. Currently, Arkansas’ sale to minor violation rate is the second lowest in the nation at a rate of 4.7%. This is a statistic of which we can all be proud!

The agency works in cooperation with an eight member board appointed by the Governor. The Tobacco Control Board serves in a quasi-judicial capacity hearing cases regarding violations to Arkansas tobacco laws and regulations. These devoted citizens are volunteers, working hard to make Arkansas a better place and we are grateful for their contribution.

As the Director of Arkansas Tobacco Control it is my pleasure to work for the people of Arkansas. We are striving hard to carry out the goals of Governor Beebe’s administration to make government more helpful, more usable, and easier to access instead of difficult, burdensome and bureaucratic. I hope you find this website to be helpful. If we can further assist you please do not hesitate to contact us today!

Respectfully,

J.R. Thomas

Arkansas Tobacco Control
101 East Capitol Ave., Suite 401
Little Rock, AR 72201-3826

Phone: (501) 682-9756
Fax: (501) 682-9760
To report sales to minors: 1-877-ID TEENS