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
I read through posts before posting and it is nice to see that non-smokers are even being upset about this.
OTOH - DHL's service is so bad I'm glad to see them going to be losing business.
Yet another reason to not use DHL - the German state-sponsored monopoly of shipping.
Buncha liberal Krauts.
Nope, but I added CIGAR to the keywords.
The real reason is taxes and smokers must pay the most because they are so ugly, stink, socially unacceptable, and all the other excuses. Free trade for everyone except smokers... Best price for everyone except smokers!! Screw all these people come and get my cigarettes.
I don't order cigarettes online, but my husband does order his cigars that way and a signature is always required.
Me too. Last night I passed out a few dozen Thompson Cigars to our friends at our 4th of July party.
bump
We left NY for NC two years ago. Chucky, The Beast, and high taxes drove us over the top to the NC move.
Paging the cigar ping list - paging the cigar ping list.
However - I seriously doubt cigar deliveries will be impacted. This is specifically directed at cigarettes - not "tobacco products"
Actually, the article says 'consumers nationwide'. So, I think it will be more than just NY.
another reason not to use DHL
Here's the bottom line -- I believe all tobacco products including pipe tobacco and cigars are about to be banned. If not completely outlawed, the cost may become prohibitive.
Partly ... right. What you can take to the bank is that this is the main if not the only reason.
The day when these babies become "contraband" will be a day of mourning...
Cigarettes, Cigars, Wine or just a pair of shoes, you should be able to purchase what ever you want in the USA from any other state within the USA or even to some extent any country that we are allowed to buy from. What are we Cuba or something?
Some over-reactive Soccer Mommy gave me a hard time last night about smoking a cigar.
In an unenclosed space.
In a public park.
On Independence Day.
Because she had children with her.
I'm sad to say I caved and moved elsewhere to smoke.
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