FDA Increases Fines for Retailers

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has announced its new fine structure for retailers caught in violation of tobacco regulations, which includes an increase in the fines retailers will have to pay if found in violation.

Fines have increased between 11.6-11.8 percent up from previous levels.

Violation	Old Penalties	New Penalties
First Violation	Warning Letter	Warning Letter
2 Violations Within 12 Months	$250	$279
3 Violations Within 24 Months	$500	$559
4 Violations Within 24 Months	$2,000	$2,236
5 Violations Within 36 Months	$5,000	$5,591
6 Violations Within 48 Months	$10,000	$11,182

The fines listed above are for retailers within an approved training program. If the retailer does not have an approved training program, the initial violation is $279, the second violation is $559 and the third violation within a 24-month period is $1,118.

These are the maximum civil penalties that can be issued by FDA.

Under new FDA deeming rules, retailers must verify the age of any customer under the age of 26, place warning labels near the point of sales and are prohibited from providing free samples to customers.