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Is it Nicaraguan
New York State Bill Seeks to Ban U.S. Postal Service Deliveries of Tobacco Products in Name of Youth Access
Albany, NY - New York Congressman John M. McHugh (R) has introduced a measure that would outlaw the shipping of cigarettes and other tobacco products via the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), while a new study fingers convenience stores as a leading cause of smokes for youths.
The Internet-Postal Service connection is the primary source of cigarettes for many minors, McHugh noted. All major commercial shippers have stopped accepting tobacco, but the USPS has taken no action on its own to protect children from cigarette addiction.
"The Postal Service has allowed itself to become a tool of the Internet and mail-order tobacco trade," said James Calvin, President of the New York Association of Convenience Stores.
The legislation has received strong endorsements from health groups and small business organizations such as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Cancer Society, and the New York Association of Convenience Stores.
According to an American Journal of Public Health study, almost 20 percent of the tobacco sales websites do not say anything about prohibiting sales to minors, more than half require only that the buyer indicate they are of legal age, another 15 percent require only that the buyer type in their date of birth, and only seven percent require any driver's license information.
State and local governments have lost more than a billion dollars per year in taxes evaded by online tobacco sellers.
All three major shipping companies-DHL, FedEx, and UPS-have stopped shipping cigarettes nationwide. As a result, all internet tobacco vendors are using the USPS to make their deliveries, McHugh noted.
Congress alone has jurisdiction over what is delivered via U.S. mail, and because of this inconsistent policy, states face a significant loophole in their tax enforcement policy.
But while convenience store operators are applauding McHugh's measure, a study suggests many stores aren't doing much on their own to keep cigarettes away from minors.
Clerks who work in convenience stores that sell gasoline are the most likely to sell tobacco to minors, according to a study appearing in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Albany, NY - New York Congressman John M. McHugh (R) has introduced a measure that would outlaw the shipping of cigarettes and other tobacco products via the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), while a new study fingers convenience stores as a leading cause of smokes for youths.
The Internet-Postal Service connection is the primary source of cigarettes for many minors, McHugh noted. All major commercial shippers have stopped accepting tobacco, but the USPS has taken no action on its own to protect children from cigarette addiction.
"The Postal Service has allowed itself to become a tool of the Internet and mail-order tobacco trade," said James Calvin, President of the New York Association of Convenience Stores.
The legislation has received strong endorsements from health groups and small business organizations such as the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Cancer Society, and the New York Association of Convenience Stores.
According to an American Journal of Public Health study, almost 20 percent of the tobacco sales websites do not say anything about prohibiting sales to minors, more than half require only that the buyer indicate they are of legal age, another 15 percent require only that the buyer type in their date of birth, and only seven percent require any driver's license information.
State and local governments have lost more than a billion dollars per year in taxes evaded by online tobacco sellers.
All three major shipping companies-DHL, FedEx, and UPS-have stopped shipping cigarettes nationwide. As a result, all internet tobacco vendors are using the USPS to make their deliveries, McHugh noted.
Congress alone has jurisdiction over what is delivered via U.S. mail, and because of this inconsistent policy, states face a significant loophole in their tax enforcement policy.
But while convenience store operators are applauding McHugh's measure, a study suggests many stores aren't doing much on their own to keep cigarettes away from minors.
Clerks who work in convenience stores that sell gasoline are the most likely to sell tobacco to minors, according to a study appearing in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
