2013 Vermont Statutes
Title 07 Alcoholic Beverages
Chapter 40 TOBACCO PRODUCTS
§ 1003 Sale of tobacco products; tobacco substitutes; tobacco paraphernalia; requirements; prohibitions

1003. Sale of tobacco products; tobacco substitutes; tobacco paraphernalia; requirements; prohibitions

(a) A person shall not sell or provide tobacco products, tobacco substitutes, or tobacco paraphernalia to any person younger than 18 years of age.

(b) Beginning August 28, 1997, vending machines selling tobacco products, tobacco substitutes, or tobacco paraphernalia are prohibited. This subsection shall not apply to a vending machine that is located in a commercial establishment in which by law no person younger than 18 years of age is permitted to enter at any time. A single vending machine may not be used to sell other commodities in combination with tobacco products, tobacco substitutes, or tobacco paraphernalia. A violation of this subsection shall result in the seizure of the vending machine.

(c) Beginning January 1, 2001, and subject to receiving any necessary exemption from preemption from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, all vending machines selling tobacco products are prohibited.

(d) No person holding a tobacco license shall display or store tobacco products or tobacco substitutes where those products are accessible to consumers without direct assistance by the sales personnel. This subsection shall not apply to the following:

(1) A display of tobacco products that is located in a commercial establishment in which by law no person younger than 18 years of age is permitted to enter at any time.

(2) Cigarettes in unopened cartons and smokeless tobacco in unopened multipack containers of 10 or more packages, any of which shall be displayed in plain view and under the control of a responsible employee so that removal of the cartons or multipacks from the display can be readily observed by that employee.

(3) Cigars and pipe tobacco stored in a humidor on the sales counter in plain view and under the control of a responsible employee so that the removal of these products from the humidor can be readily observed by that employee.

(e) The sale and the purchase of bidis is prohibited. A person who holds a tobacco license who sells bidis as prohibited by this subsection shall be fined not more than $500.00. A person who purchases bidis from any source shall be fined not more than $250.00.

(f) No person holding a tobacco license shall sell cigarettes or little cigars individually or in packs that contain fewer than 20 cigarettes or little cigars.

(g) As used in this section, "little cigars" means any rolls of tobacco wrapped in leaf tobacco or any substance containing tobacco, other than any roll of tobacco which is a cigarette within the meaning of 32 V.S.A. 7702(1), and as to which 1,000 units weigh not more than three pounds. (Added 1991, No. 70, 2, eff. May 1, 1992; amended 1997, No. 58, 3; 1999, No. 89 (Adj. Sess.), 2; 2001, No. 108 (Adj. Sess.), 1, eff. May 15, 2002; 2011, No. 166 (Adj. Sess.), 1; 2013, No. 14, 3.)