2011 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 26 — Liquors-alcoholic beverages
RS 26:901 — Definitions

CHAPTER 7. TOBACCO PRODUCTS

§901. Definitions

As used in this Chapter, the following terms have the meaning ascribed to them in this Section, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) "Cigar" includes any roll of tobacco for smoking, irrespective of size or shape, and irrespective of the tobacco being flavored, adulterated, or mixed with any other ingredients, where such roll has a wrapper made chiefly of tobacco.

(2) "Cigarette" includes any roll for smoking made wholly or in part of tobacco, irrespective of size or shape and irrespective of the tobacco being flavored, adulterated, or mixed with any other ingredient, where such roll has a wrapper or cover made of paper, or any other material except where such wrapper is wholly or in greater part made of tobacco.

(3) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of alcohol and tobacco control.

(4) "Dealer" includes every person who manufactures or purchases cigars, cigarettes, or other tobacco products for distribution or resale in this state. The term also means any person who imports cigars, cigarettes, or other tobacco products from any state or foreign country for distribution, sale, or consumption in this state.

(5) "Facility" means a part or portion of an establishment which is designed so as to impede a minor's access to a vending machine by walls or other separation in combination with signs designed to notify the public that persons under the age of eighteen are prohibited from the area.

(6) "Manufacturer" means anyone engaged in the manufacture, production, or foreign importation of tobacco products who sells to wholesalers.

(7) "Place of business" means the place where the tobacco orders are received, or where the taxable tobacco articles are sold, or if sold upon a railroad train or on or from any other vehicle, the vehicle on which or from which the taxable articles are sold. It also includes the establishment where vending machines are located.

(8) "Retail dealer" includes every dealer other than a wholesale dealer, or manufacturer who sells or offers for sale cigars, cigarettes, or other tobacco products, irrespective of quantity or the number of sales.

(9) "Secretary" means the secretary of the Department of Revenue and includes any of his duly authorized assistants.

(10) "Self-service display" means any display that contains tobacco products and is located in an area openly accessible to the retail dealer's customers and from which such customers can readily access tobacco products without the assistance of a salesperson. A display case that holds tobacco products behind locked doors does not constitute a self-service display for purposes of this Chapter.

(11) "Smokeless tobacco" means any finely cut, ground, powdered, or leaf tobacco that is intended to be placed in the oral or nasal cavity.

(12) "Smoking tobacco" includes granulated, plug cut, crimp cut, ready rubbed, and any other kind and form of tobacco prepared in such manner as to be suitable for smoking in pipe or cigarette.

(13) "Stamp" means the impression, device, stamp, label, or print manufactured or printed as prescribed by the secretary by the use of which the tax levied hereunder is paid. By way of extension, and not limitation, the term "stamp" means any impression or character affixed to or which shall be stamped upon commodities by metered stamping machine or device by use of which the tax levied hereunder is paid.

(14) "Tobacco product" means any cigar, cigarette, smokeless tobacco, or smoking tobacco.

(15) "Vending machine" means any mechanical, electric, or electronic self-service device which, upon insertion of money, tokens, or any other form of payment, automatically dispenses tobacco products.

(16) "Vending machine operator" means any person who controls the use of one or more vending machines as to the supply of cigarettes or any tobacco products in the machine or the receipts from cigarettes vended through such machines.

(17) "Wholesale dealer" means a dealer whose principal business is that of a wholesaler, who sells cigarettes, cigars, or other tobacco products to retail dealers for purpose of resale, who is a bona fide wholesaler, and fifty percent of whose total tobacco sales are to retail stores other than its own or its subsidiaries within Louisiana. Wholesale dealer shall include any person in the state who acquires cigarettes solely for the purpose of resale in vending machines, provided such person services fifty or more cigarette vending machines in Louisiana other than his own, and a Louisiana dealer who was affixing cigarette and tobacco stamps as of January 1, 1974.

(18) "Tobacconist" means any bona fide tobacco retailer engaged in receiving bulk smoking tobacco for the purpose of blending such tobacco for retail sale at a particular retail outlet where fifty percent or more of the total purchases for the preceding twelve months were purchases of tobacco products, excluding cigarettes.

Acts 1997, No. 1370, §2, eff. Oct. 1, 1997; Acts 2006, No. 108, §1, eff. July 1, 2006; Acts 2009, No. 162, §1; Acts 2010, No. 412, §1.