Published: Jul 5, 2005 ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - One of the world's largest package delivery companies will stop delivering cigarettes to individual consumers nationwide under an agreement with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.
Posted on 07/05/2005 2:09:07 PM PDT by TheOtherOne
DHL Agrees to End Cigarette Deliveries to Individuals
Published: Jul 5, 2005 ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - One of the world's largest package delivery companies will stop delivering cigarettes to individual consumers nationwide under an agreement with New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.
Spitzer said DHL is the first major shipping company to agree to the ban and negotiations continue with other companies and the U.S. Postal Service. The agreement follows a March deal in which major credit card companies began refusing to participate in Internet sale of cigarettes nationwide.
The agreement with Spitzer and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is aimed at ending a common method for youths to obtain cigarettes, which can't legally be sold to people under 18 years old.
In Tuesday's agreement, DHL cuts off another route for the Internet cigarette sales, a growing business, Spitzer said.
Audrey Silk of New York City Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment said the actions are simply boosting an illegal market for cigarettes in which no one asks a consumers' age. The measures deny consumer choice, because some brands are only sold out of state.
"When the product is legal, who are you to say I can't order it?" said Silk, who's also a Libertarian candidate for New York City mayor. "He's attacking one consumer class trying to buy a legal product and strong-arming the common carries into going along with his campaign to keep cigarettes out of adult hands."
DHL General Counsel Jon Olin said the agreement is in the best interest of customers and the public. The company will still be able to deliver tobacco products to licensed retailers and other authorized recipients.
"By taking a proactive approach, DHL is pleased to be the leader in the prevention of illegal cigarette sales in the United States," Olin said.
State and federal law enforcement agencies have since 2004 sought to crack down on Internet sales of cigarettes partly because they lack age verification for the buyers and partly because it costs state and local governments billions of dollars in sales tax.
States lose more than $1 billion a year in tax revenue from Internet tobacco sales, according to the ATF. Enforcement, however, has been difficult, even though in many states, including New York, the Internet sale of tobacco products is illegal.
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On the Net:
http://www.oag.state.ny.us
http://www.atf.gov
AP-ES-07-05-05 1645EDT
ping
And the insanity continues. :(
The next target wil be........Swiss Colony, for selling chocolate, that brown demon of a confection.
Freaking unreal, and I am not even a smoker.
This is a scary guy, and the most likely next Gov of NY.
My sympathies to NY FReepers.
"Spitzer said DHL is the first major shipping company to agree to the ban and negotiations continue with other companies and the U.S. Postal Service."
I'm not a smoker and never have been.....but what's next on the list? Will the govt. decide to strong-arm shipping companies to ban all internet candy sales because of the "obesity epidemic"? Sheesh.
Oh, bull crap. Spitzer was worried about the potential loss of tax revenue from out-of-state purchases. Don't give me that "for the children" line. All that was necessary to avoid that would be to require signature upon delivery of someone over 18. I'd love to see some Indian tribe commerce-clause that SOB.
It's "for the children", nothing to do with tax revenue. Not.
Spitzer is a publicity-seeking scoundrel.
I buy all my Cigars via mail order. This REALLY concerns me.
He's got his eyes on a bigger target than Governor although he may consider that a stepping stone. The guy scares the crap out of me.
The only problem with shipping chocolate is when you try to get it delivered to Texas in the Summer, even when it's packed with ice. You receive chocolate syrup.
Start a new business in NY border states to accept delivery of cigarette orders for NY staters. Deposit checks in offshore bank accounts.
My advice to NY FReepers: Get the hell out of that godforsaken state and let Spitzer, the Democrats, and the RINOs run it into the ground.
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