TheDenverChannel.com - News - Credit Card Companies Make Deal To Prevent Internet Cigarette Sales

Credit Card Companies Make Deal To Prevent Internet Cigarette Sales States Praise Public-Private Deal POSTED: 1:05 pm MST March 17, 2005 UPDATED: 1:30 pm MST March 17, 2005 Attorneys general from Colorado and nine other states, major credit card companies and a federal agency agreed Thursday on a plan to prevent the illegal sale of tobacco products over the Internet. The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the companies and state officials agreed to work together to prevent the long unchecked use of credit cards to buy cigarettes over the Internet across state lines. The agreement is effective immediately. The result is that virtually all credit cards will no longer participate with Web sites in the United States and internationally that sell cigarettes and tobacco products.