cigarettes
Right now, the Postal Service is the sole carrier still delivering cigarettes through the mail, allowing children to order tobacco products online from vendors with few safeguards to stop underage purchasers," McHugh said. "Private mail carriers like UPS, DHL and FedEx have already changed their policies, but Congress has the sole jurisdiction over what is delivered via USPS. We need to enact this legislation so we don’t continue to undermine the efforts of parents, teachers and organizations across the country that have worked to educate children on the dangers of cigarettes." McHugh’s bill would make it illegal to use the U.S. Postal Service to deliver cigarettes, smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco. It includes a $100,000 penalty per violation. Blumenthal said that the majority of people who turn to the Internet to purchase tobacco are trying to evade state tobacco taxes or are minors looking for a way to secure cigarettes for themselves. Most Internet tobacco retail Web sites ask purchasers to attest that they are of legal age but few seek verifiable proof, such as a driver’s license. A 2004 study found that it was relatively easy for teenagers to get cigarettes delivered to their homes using the Internet. Indeed, 29 of 30 were able to identify an Internet vendor and place an order within 20 minutes. Of those, 77 percent were delivered successfully.
