U.S. Postal Service to allow tobacco shipments to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan..

August 13, 2010 - The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) said Thursday, August 12th that it plans to resume shipping possibly as soon as August 27th care packages with cigarettes and other tobacco to soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Directly related news brief: August 6, 2010 - PACT Act - sometimes soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan can't get the cigarettes they want..

The Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act) of 2009 quietly took effect June 29 and was created to prevent minors from ordering cigarettes through the mail. It allowed for small shipments of tobacco but required a way to verify the recipient was old enough – meaning the only way to ship the packages through the postal service was by Express Mail, which requires a signature. Summary - Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT Act)

However, Express Mail doesn't deliver to most overseas military addresses. The new instructions would allow tobacco shipments to military addresses through Priority Mail, which does ship to deployed troops, with delivery confirmation instead.

U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl, the bill's sponsor, said in a statement that he was notified Thursday of the new instructions. "I'm pleased that the Postal Service responded so quickly to the concerns of our military families and found a way to honor the original intent of the bill: to keep cigarettes out of the hands of children and prevent tobacco smugglers from profiting on the black market," he said.

Kohl recently sent a letter to the Postmaster General asking him to change the regulations, because the bill also expressly permits the shipping of tobacco from adult to adult, including to military addresses.

Reference: Postal Service Gives Soldiers Denied Cigarette Shipments A Way To Get Them Back, Kristin M. Hall, Huffington Post - Associated Press, 8/12/2010.

Some PACT related news briefs:
PACT Act - sometimes soldiers in Iraq or Afghanistan can't get the cigarettes they want..;
U.S. PACT Law takes effect June 29, 2010..;
President Obama Signs PACT Act Into Law..;
U.S. House passed PACT Act again now awaits presidential signature and it's law..;
U.S. Senate - unanimously passes the PACT Act..;
Disappointment - U.S. legislators from New York State are delaying passage of PACT Act..;
NATO - urging retailers to call their U.S.Senators to get the PACT Act passed..;
U.S. let's get the PACT bill passed by congress and then signed into law..;
NY State - Seneca Indians - lobbying against the PACT act.;
U.S. - Senate Judiciary Committee Approves PACT ACT..;
U.S. - Senate Committee scheduled to vote on PACT..;
Web-Based Companies must stop selling flavored cigarettes..;
Internet, Flavors everywhere - snuff being marketed to kids as hip, cool and healthy..;
U.S. customs officials bar imports bearing the Philip Morris USA trademark..;
Let's Get It Passed - Prevent All Tobacco Trafficking Act of 2009..;
U.S - PACT legislation passed by House..;
U.S. - PACT Legislation to be considered by House this month..;
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..
Protect Our Children - Make it illegal to use the U.S. Postal Service to deliver any form of tobacco product...