WASHINGTON — Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced Tuesday that 7-Eleven will pay $1.2 million to resolve allegations it violated the District of Columbia’s ban on the sale of electronic smoking devices within a quarter mile of middle and high schools.
An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that since the law took effect in October 2022, sixteen 7-Eleven stores near DC schools illegally sold more than 7,500 vapes and e-cigarettes. Despite being notified of the new restriction in advance, both company-owned and franchise locations continued offering the products until the OAG intervened.
“Selling vapes and e-cigarettes near schools is illegal because, particularly for young people, these nicotine products are addictive and unhealthy,” Schwalb said. “7-Eleven’s illegal sales threatened to reverse the progress we’ve made reducing tobacco use amongst youth.”
As part of the settlement, 7-Eleven must:
- Permanently stop selling and marketing electronic smoking devices at stores near schools.
- Provide annual compliance training for staff at corporate-owned locations and encourage franchisees to participate.
- Send annual reminders of the ban to stores in school zones.
- Monitor franchise store data quarterly, with repeat violators facing the potential loss of their franchise agreements.
The company has already removed vapes and e-cigarettes from stores within the prohibited zones and adjusted its inventory systems to prevent future sales.
The settlement follows broader regulatory pressure on the vaping industry, with federal data showing e-cigarettes remain the most widely used nicotine products among students in grades six through 12.
