Walmart is known for its large selection, low prices, and massive “Supercenter” stores that serve an estimated 37 million customers every day!
They say Walmart sells everything… But does Walmart sell cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes? Here is what we know from Walmart’s own public statements.
Does Walmart Sell Cigarettes, Cigars & E-cigarettes?
Walmart does sell tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, smokeless tobacco, rolling/pipe tobacco, and rolling papers at some stores (not including Canada and some states/counties). The sale of e-cigarettes, vapes, Juuls, and vape juices are not sold in any US Walmart location as of 2019.
But what does this mean for their customers?
Here’s a complete guide to purchasing tobacco products and other nicotine products at Walmart. We’ll discuss cigarettes, cigars, e-cigarettes, and other tobacco options. Let’s look closer and find out!
Does Walmart Sell Cigars?
Yes, Walmart stores in the US and most other countries sell cigars. The ID and legal requirements are the same as those for cigarettes.
Keep in mind that Walmart’s cigar selection is similar to what you’ll find at a gas station, bodega, or a small corner store. These are not “fine,” humidor-stored Cuban cigars.
What Other Tobacco Products Does Walmart Sell?
Walmart sells a small selection of other tobacco products. The most common option is chewing tobacco, along with snus, another form of smokeless tobacco. They also sell pipe tobacco, cigarette rolling tobacco, and rolling papers.
Does Walmart Sell Juul Pods?
Walmart used to sell Juul pods. However, this came to an end on September 20th, 2019. That day, Walmart announced that they would no longer be selling e-cigarettes at their US stores.
This happened in the midst of ongoing negative news coverage of vaping, a series of highly publicized vaping-related deaths, and several state and local laws to restrict the sale of vaping products.
In their official statement, Walmart said: “Given the growing federal, state, and local regulatory complexity and uncertainty regarding e-cigarettes, we plan to discontinue the sale of electronic nicotine delivery products at all Walmart and Sam’s Club U.S. locations.”
Does Walmart Sell Vape Juice?
Walmart does not sell vape juice or other vaping products, including Juul pods and e-cigarettes. Since 2019, they have not sold any vaping products of any kind.
Does Walmart Sell Other Nicotine Products?
Walmart sells nicotine gum and lozenges that are designed to be used as smoking-cessation aids. These products are non-prescription, although they have the same photo ID and age requirements for sale.
As with most products, Walmart stocks their smoking-cessation aids in different levels to meet local demand at specific locations. Additionally, Walmart sells a wide range of alcohol in many of its store locations.
What is Required to Purchase Tobacco at Walmart?
In the United States, government-issued identification is required to purchase tobacco products at any Walmart store. Valid forms of ID include a driver’s license, military ID, passport, sheriff’s ID, or tribal identification card.
It also must be a photo ID, and it must be government-issued. Student IDs from a university, for instance, are not accepted.
Tobacco customers must also be of legal age in the state they reside in and can vary from state to state. In most states, this is 18 years of age.
However, some states require tobacco customers to be at least 19 years of age. Starting in 2019, other states began raising the age to 21. To ensure compliance, Walmart requires their cashiers to see an ID from tobacco customers who appear to be younger than 40.
Does Walmart Canada Sell Cigarettes?
In 1994, the Canadian Province of Ontario banned the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies, becoming the first province to do so. Since some Walmart stores contain pharmacies, those stores needed to stop selling tobacco products.
Rather than have different policies in different stores across different provinces, Walmart chose to stop selling tobacco products at all Canadian stores before the passage of the 1994 bill. Since then, cigarettes have not been available at Walmart in Canada.
To learn more, you can also see our posts on whether or not Walgreens and Dollar General sell cigarettes. Also, if you are in Walmart, be sure to see our guide on where to find lighters in Walmart!
Conclusion
Walmart does sell cigarettes in a cashier-operated register near the center of the line. They also sell cigars, rolling papers, and loose tobacco at this same register. Tobacco products have been unavailable at Walmart in Canada since 1994. They do not sell e-cigarettes or other vaping products.
