DHL to Halt Web-based Cigarette Shipments

DHL Worldwide Express agreed Tuesday to stop delivering cigarettes bought over the Internet or via mail, New York state Attorney General Elliot Spitzer told Bloomberg News.

Bloomberg said DHL is the first major parcel carrier to agree to the cigarette shipping ban.

State attorneys general and federal officials have taken aim at Internet sales of cigarettes recently, Bloomberg said. In March, several major credit card companies agreed to block online transactions.

The U.S. Postal Service has declined to halt cigarette shipments, citing privacy concerns. UPS Inc. only allows shipments to licensed dealers, Bloomberg said.