New law restricts Internet tobacco sales

AUGUSTA – The state Attorney General’s office issued a reminder Friday that a new law restricts Internet tobacco sales in Maine.

The new law requires any retailer, whether located in Maine or anywhere else, to be licensed by the state in order to have tobacco delivered to Maine consumers.

It also prohibits delivery services from shipping tobacco products to Maine consumers if shipped from unlicensed sellers.

One key requirement of the law includes strict age verification procedures that assure underage buyers cannot order and obtain tobacco from Web sites selling cigarettes and reporting requirements to assure Maine taxes are collected.

“The importance of this new law is highlighted by a study published September 10th in the Journal of the American Medical Association,” said Attorney General Steven Rowe. “The study found that minors were able to purchase cigarettes on the Internet 94 percent of the time using prepaid credit cards; and 89 percent of the time using money orders. This resulted in 1,650 packs of cigarettes delivered to underage buyers. The Maine Legislature is well-justified in adopting the new law.”