The Massachusetts Attorney General’s office last week put a hard stop to an electronic vaping company’s sales in Massachusetts, saying that the Kilo Eliquid website had no measures to ensure that it was selling products only to those age 21 or older, that its mail order practices allowed release of packages to underage consumers, and that the company advertised on websites geared towards children.
The practices violate state law and regulations, the AG wrote the company in a “Demand to Cease and Desist” letter. Online retailers who sell in Massachusetts, where the legal age to purchase electronic smoking devices is 21, must use a database to verify a purchaser’s age, and must use a delivery method that requires the signature of someone at least 21 years old before the package is released.
“E-cigarette companies have taken a page out of the playbook of the tobacco companies to get young people addicted to their products,” said AG Maura Healey. “If these retailers are operating in our state, they must comply with Massachusetts laws and keep their products away from children.”
The Massachusetts hospital community has been a strong advocate in the fight against the use of tobacco products. The large majority of Massachusetts hospitals are tobacco-free, meaning that they disallow use of all tobacco products anywhere on their grounds, including parking lots and garages. More information about Massachusetts hospital effort to combat smoking – the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. –
is here.