RALEIGH, N.C. (NCN News) – North Carolina’s attorney general says major credit card companies need to do more to prevent kids from buying vaping products.
Jeff Jackson joined a bipartisan coalition of 25 attorneys general in urging nine major credit card companies and payment processors (American Express, Capital One, Citigroup, Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, Stripe, Sezzle, and Block) to take stronger action to stop their payment networks from being used to sell illegal vaping products, particularly to children.
“It shouldn’t be this easy for a kid to go online and buy a vape using a credit card,” Jackson said in a press release. “Credit card companies need to create stronger safeguards that stop kids from being able to buy illegal products that are harmful for them.”
E-cigarettes are strictly regulated under both federal and state law because of their addictiveness and potential to cause health risks. At the federal level, all e-cigarette products must be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they can be legally sold. The FDA has authorized only 45 products, all in tobacco or menthol flavors, meaning most vaping products on the market are not approved and are considered “adulterated” under federal law.
In North Carolina, manufacturers must have their products certified by the Department of Revenue before they can be sold in the state. It is also illegal to sell or give e-cigarettes to anyone underage, and online sellers are required to verify a buyer’s age before completing a sale. Despite these rules, many online retailers fail to follow basic safeguards designed to protect children.
North Carolina has taken a leading role in protecting children from unregulated vaping products. It was the first state in the country to sue e-cigarette company Juul for its marketing and sales practices aimed at young people, securing a $47.8 million judgment.
In their letters, the coalition of attorneys general are urging credit card companies and payment processors to unite in a shared effort to find more effective solutions to stop illegal e-cigarette sales, including prohibiting merchants and payment processors that break the law from using their networks.
Joining Attorney General Jackson in sending today’s letters are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, and the City of New York.