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Monday, September 6, 2010   53º

03/17/2010 07:17 PM

House bans cigarette sales through U.S. mail

By: Jen Markham

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WASHINGTON D.C. -- By a 387 to 25 vote, the House has approved a new bill to ban shipping cigarettes in the U.S. mail.

The law is designed to make it harder for those under age to buy cigarettes, but the law could hurt the Seneca Nation of Indians, who generates a large percentage of their cigarette sales from internet and mail orders.

Seneca leaders say the law could hurt their business to the point it could cost the nation 1,000 tobacco industry jobs.

The tribe's tobacco business accounts for about half of its $1.1 billion economy.

The bill had previously passed the Senate by a unanimous vote and will now go to President Obama for his signature.