Is it, as I suspect, illegal to sell cigarettes individually in the U.S.? If so, what is the rationale behind such a law?
I don’t know that your premise is true. There are places in bars that I have seen where (for a quarter) you can buy an individual cigarette from a vending machine. I saw this in Iowa City, IA one time, but I don’t remember where, so I have no specific cite for you.
This page discusses the legalities of single-cigarette sales, but I am not sure if it is based on US law. I don’t recognize the suffix on the web address.
I suspect that the general rationale for laws prohibiting certain sales of cigarettes is based in taxes (i.e., making sure that all taxes are paid and not evaded) as well as ensuring that minors do not purchase said cigarettes.
I know it is illegal to sell individual cigarettes like this in Texas. I believe the law varies from state to state, but in Texas it’s seen as a possible way to get around taxes, and therefore is illegal. Bathroom attendants give them individually, but I guess because they’re working for tips and aren’t exactly selling the cigarettes it’s OK.
I’ve seen shops in Missouri that sell cigarettes individually as well as in packs and cartons. I have no idea whether they’re breaking any laws.
From the American Cancer Society:
That suffix (.cx) is for Christmas Island. here is a list of country codes.
However, some country codes are used by people wanting to either disguise their true location, or just because they like the unintentional association (i.e., “.tv” is Tuvalu, but is actively promoted to those who want it to be thought of as “TV=Television”).
The “singleshots” page is for a business based in South Africa.
Perhaps you know something that cannot be obtained from the URL alone, but “singleshot.za.cx” is a domain name from Christmas Island (.cx), not South Africa (.za). The LAST characters are the highest domain level. It looks to me like the URL was designed to confuse or disguise the source.
A whois search turns up very little detail about this registration.
Well, on their webpage they say they’re a South African company. They have agents in Buffalo City and Port Elizabeth.
I see that the cite says selling single cigarettes in Michigan is illegal, but despite that I see it done at some of the gas stations in the not-so-nice parts of Detroit. You know, where people can’t afford a measley $4.50 for an entire pack, but just have to have their fix.