Other LanguagesOlympia - Washington State today filed suit against two on-line companies for selling cigarettes to minors, according to Attorney General Christine Gregoire.
The suits allege that Cyco.net, Inc., based in New Mexico and S4L Distributing, Inc., based in Virginia, have continued selling cigarettes online to minors after being warned last fall by several states, including Washington, that minors were able to purchase products from their websites.
Cyco.net, Inc. does business online as aabakismokes.com and cycocigs.com.S4L Distributing, Inc. does business online as smokin4less.com and a1discountcigarettes.com.
According to the complaints filed in King County Superior Court, the plaintiffs advertised the sale of cigarettes on their websites without requiring any verification of the purchaser's age, either when ordering cigarettes or at the time of delivery.
The actions are part of an ongoing multi-state effort to curb tobacco sales to minors. California and Oregon have also filed suits against online sellers of tobacco. The Washington lawsuits seek injunctions to stop the defendants' practices, civil penalties up to $2,000 per violation, and the state's costs and fees.
The lawsuits were filed with the assistance and cooperation of the King County Department of Public Health.