According to Vtdigger's report on October 16th, Vermont Attorney General Charity Clark announced that Amazon will pay $400,000 to the state of Vermont and improve its review process to address allegations of failing to prevent online sellers from selling e-cigarettes.
The investigation by the Office of the Attorney General found that third-party sellers have been selling tobacco products, particularly e-cigarettes, to residents of the state on Amazon for the past few years. This behavior violates the laws of Vermont, which prohibit online sales of tobacco products to anyone other than licensed dealers. As part of a settlement agreement, Amazon has also banned the sale of e-cigarettes and implemented various measures to prevent such sales.
However, the settlement document states that "from July 2019 to September 2024, certain e-cigarettes were still being sold by third-party sellers through Amazon stores and shipped to consumers in Vermont.
In a settlement agreement, Amazon has made unspecified improvements to its oversight measures after being notified of violations by the Attorney General of Vermont.
In addition to making payments, Amazon will also annually list the names of suppliers selling tobacco products to Vermont over the next four years, known as the "Vermont Evader Seller List". The list will be provided to the Attorney General when necessary.
Clark stated in a press release on Wednesday, the 16th, that...
The crisis of teenagers using e-cigarettes demands that each of us adhere to regulations that protect children from harm, and Amazon has failed to do so. Selling e-cigarette products online gives minors access to these harmful products without age verification, and I cannot turn a blind eye to this.
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