Cashiers ring up customers at registers inside a Walmart location in Burbank, California.
Patrick T. Fallon | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Walmart will increase the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21 starting July 1 joining the growing list of retailers boosting their age policies, the company said in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration.
Walmart said it is also in the process of discontinuing sales of fruit and dessert flavored e-cigarettes. The retailer outlined steps to prevent minors from buying tobacco products in a letter to the FDA.
The FDA in April threatened to fine Walmart, Kroger, Family Dollar and more than a half dozen convenience store chains for illegally selling tobacco products to minors. Walmart in response said it would take a number of steps, including to strengthen its disciplinary action when stores fail secret shopper checks, enhance its data, analytics and systems and upgrade its age-verification training by using virtual-reality technology.
Walgreens and Rite Aid have already announced they would raise the minimum age to buy tobacco products. Rite Aid also said it would stop selling all e-cigarettes in its stores though it would continue to sell cigarettes. A dozen states have already increased the age requirements and federal lawmakers are also considering nationwide legislation.
Read Walmart’s letter to the FDA:
