Panel OKs bill to crack down on Internet cigarette sales

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation that would crack down on Internet sales of tobacco products, which many public-health advocates believe is a common way that minors get cigarettes.

The legislation, supported by Henrico County-based tobacco giant Altria Group Inc., would make it illegal to mail cigarettes to buyers.

Most private parcel services, such as FedEx, UPS and DHL, will not ship cigarettes, under agreements with state attorneys general seeking to enforce state laws banning sale of tobacco to minors.

The bill also would step up enforcement of tobacco tax laws.

"This is not a minor problem," said Sen. Herb Kohl, D-Wis., lead sponsor of the bill.

"Cigarette smuggling is getting worse. . . . The amount of money involved is truly astonishing. Cigarette trafficking, including the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet, costs states billions of dollars in lost tax revenue each year. It is estimated that we lose $5 billion of tax revenue, at the federal and state level, every year."

The bill is supported by law-enforcement, retailer and wholesaler groups, as well as Altria and the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.

Altria worries about lost sales and the possibility that some Internet vendors are selling fakes that look like its products but aren't.

"Lost taxes are a major issue, too," said Altria spokesman David Sutton.

"But underage sales are equally a concern," he said. "On some of these Web sites, age verification is simply 'Click on this box to say you're 18.'"

Contact David Ress at (804) 649-6051 or .