U.S. - PACT Legislation to be considered by House this month..

May 21, 2009 - H.R. 1676, the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (the PACT Act) of 2009, introduced by Representative Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), which was scheduled to be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 19th.

This legislation is extremely important, it will effectively end Internet and telephone tobacco smuggling by stopping shipments of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco through the U.S. Postal Service. FedEx, UPS, and DHL have already agreed not to mail tobacco.

Philip Morris USA said that it supports this legislation.

The PACT Act includes provisions designed to bring an end to tax-evading sales of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products over the Internet and provides the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives with more resources and tools to accomplish this goal. These include creating six regional contraband cigarette trafficking teams, including one in New York City; a new national Tobacco Intelligence Center to monitor and coordinate illegal cigarette trafficking investigations in the United States; and a computer database that will track and analyze information from remote sellers of tobacco products.

Reference: PM USA Files More Counterfeit Cigarette Sales Suits While Congress hopes to make impact with PACT, Convenience Store/Peroleum (CSP) Daily News, 5/20/2009.

Related news briefs: We must get the United States Postal Service (USPS) out of the tobacco delivery business..; PACT Legislation now in the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee..; U.S. House Passes Bill to Prevent Tobacco Delivery By Mail..; We must get the United States Postal Service (USPS) out of the tobacco delivery business.. and Protect Our Children - Make it illegal to use the U.S. Postal Service to deliver any form of tobacco product...