Age Verification Legislation Introduced Today in US Congress
 

The important part is this:
Congress should act quickly to approve legislation being introduced today by U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.) to require effective age verification both at the point of purchase and the point of delivery for Internet tobacco sales. This legislation would require Internet retailers to verify the age of their customers using government issued identification checked against related databases and require signature and age verification upon delivery.


Full story:

JAMA Study Shows Kids Can Easily Buy Cigarettes Over Internet, Underscoring Need for Meehan Legislation to Address Problem



9/9/03 4:00:00 PM




To: National Desk, Health Reporter



Contact: Joel Spivak/Nicole Dueffert, 202-296-5469 both of the Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids



WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement by William V. Corr, executive director, Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids:



"As a growing number of cigarette sales occur over the Internet, a study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) provides alarming evidence that the Internet is an almost completely unchecked source of cigarettes for kids. The JAMA study found that kids as young as 11 were successful more than 90 percent of the time in purchasing cigarettes over the Internet and there was little effort to verify the age of Internet cigarette purchasers either at the time of purchase or the time of delivery. Age verification at the time of purchase was usually limited to checking off a box that the buyer was old enough to buy cigarettes, and more than 86 percent of the cigarettes purchased were either left at the recipients' door or accepted by the youth purchasers without any age verification. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of North Carolina, is the first to examine how easy it is for kids to buy cigarettes on the Internet.



"The study underscores the need for federal legislation establishing effective safeguards against Internet tobacco sales to kids. Congress should act quickly to approve legislation being introduced today by U.S. Rep. Martin Meehan (D-Mass.) to require effective age verification both at the point of purchase and the point of delivery for Internet tobacco sales. This legislation would require Internet retailers to verify the age of their customers using government issued identification checked against related databases and require signature and age verification upon delivery.



"There are currently more than 400 Internet websites that sell tobacco products. Internet tobacco sales are growing rapidly. Internet tobacco prices are much lower than those in regular bricks-and-mortar retail outlets because Internet sellers almost never include the state taxes charged by retail stores. These low prices make Internet tobacco products attractive to both adult and underage smokers, and help to boost overall smoking levels. In addition, states may be losing hundreds of millions of dollars each year through Internet-based tobacco tax evasion.



"Every day in this country, more than 4,000 kids try cigarettes for the first time. More than 2,000 become regular smokers, one-third of whom will die prematurely as a result. Restricting cigarette sales over the Internet is a critical part of protecting our kids.



"For more information: Contact the JAMA/Archives Media Relations Department at 312-464-JAMA (5262) or e-mail: [email protected]. To contact Kurt Ribisl, Ph.D., the study's author, call David Williamson at 919-962-8596."

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRe...d=162-09092003

It's not about adult, but if it's good enough for cigs it's good enough for a DVD.

Starting with smokes and finishing with the whole net . SUCKKKKKS . Bitch ass Gov again !

Wonder what they mean by that exactly. New type of identification or some form or system to check a drivers license against a nation-wide online database.

Cool good time to reg CigaretteCheck.com.



:1orglaugh

So, where is this "database."

I certainly wouldnt want my ID# and name to be able to be matched in a national system. And, if they have a "related database" for tobacco, why not for porn? And is congress really going to trust fed ex to do an age verification?

Yeah, that's a big Q. with identity theft rampant, you can't just have a db to download. I suspect it will be more like "input driver's licence number, input name... Do they match?"

I think this is a good thing, it will allow AVS using the same system. It will also allow DVDs to ship with shipper sure that age check is legal. That can open up a lot of markets.

Glad I didn't get rid of my keywordAVS.com domain.

I don't think it's anything new, I think it's just using the existing system of "adult must sign" which I think they already have.

I read something a few months ago about the Feds were going to go after the online tobacco sites to force them to collect the state and federal taxes since they have the laws in place that covered ALL sales and were not exempt from the net like the sales taxes in alot of cases. Wonder what went wrong? :Graucho


And a national ID dbase is coming. Part of the patriot act 1 or 2. Then they backed off but they will force that issue again and make it happen.

Vote for Flipper in '04! She won't mismanage the country! lol