Rep. Weiner (D-NY) cited AWMA’s work to promote the end of illegal Internet sales of cigarettes and cigarette trafficking on the floor of the House of Representatives yesterday during debate on his measure – HR 1676 – entitled the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act or PACT Act.

As the House debated passage of HR 1676 on Tuesday, Rep. Weiner made the following remarks that appeared in the Congressional Record, “Also, some of the folks in the private sector who helped us craft this bill in a way that doesn’t impact legitimate operators.…Anne Holloway with the American Wholesale Marketers Association”.

AWMA has worked consistently to promote passage of this important legislation that would impose tougher penalties on those that sell cigarettes illegally over the Internet, avoiding taxes and creating an unfair competitive advantage.  These tobacco products sold illegally over the Internet also often end up in the hands of minors which is of great concern to our members as well.  AWMA has lobbied on behalf of the PACT Act at our previous “AWMA Day on the Hill” events in Washington, D.C. and we are gratified to see our hard work paying off as this measure makes its way through Congress.

Here is the link to the Congressional Record page: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?position=all&page=H5738&dbname=2009_record