Does Walmart Sell Cigarettes, Cigars, and Vapes?

From children’s toys to groceries and even alcohol, Walmart seems to have it all – but do they sell cigarettes and other tobacco products?

Here’s what you should know about whether Walmart sells cigarettes and other information about purchasing tobacco products at this store.

What is Walmart?

Walmart was founded in 1962 by Sam Walton and his wife Helen when they opened their first store in Rogers, Arkansas. The name was taken from the city in which they were located and named after Walton’s first business venture – The Walton Gasoline Store which was based in Bentonville Arkansas in the 1950s (Walton 2015).

The store began selling items at an extremely low price than any other store available at the time but still remained competitive due to the fact that they used their own suppliers and kept their prices low (Noe, 2010).

The store has grown over the years and now operates in 4,443 locations in 29 countries around the world. Walmart is not only a retail company but also a technology company, providing logistics services to its customers as well as the purchase of products for the Walmart website.

The Walmart website was launched in 1996 and it is now available in 10 different languages (Walmart 2015). It provides a wide range of products from clothing to food and from electronics to furniture.

There are a variety of categories that you can search through including electronics, clothing, jewelry, health & beauty, home & garden, and much more. The website also allows you to view pictures of the products available for sale so that you can get an idea of what you might be buying before you buy them.

If you are looking for something specific then you can use their store locator to find where it is located within your country.

Does Walmart Sell Cigarettes?

Yes, Walmart does sell cigarettes – as well as a small selection of other tobacco products like cigars, smokeless tobacco, and even rolling papers at some locations.

Besides cigarettes, you can also buy other nicotine products, like nicotine lozenges and gum.

Update: Walmart No Longer Sells Tobacco Products in Some Stores

According to Countertotobacco.org, Walmart has stopped selling cigarettes in some of its stores in the US. The stores will stop selling cigarettes in the following states:

• Florida
• California
• Arkansas
• New Mexico

This is a voluntary action on Walmart’s part. The store was not required to stop selling cigarettes by the FDA or any other federal organization. The ban applies to other tobacco products.

Walmart isn’t the first store chain to stop selling tobacco products; Target did so in 1996 and CVS Health also banned tobacco product sales in 2014.

Does Walmart Carry Pipe Tobacco?

While many Walmarts do carry pipes and their accessories, stores in the states mentioned above no longer carry any tobacco products, including pipe tobacco.

Does Walmart Sell E-Cigarettes and Vapes?

No, there are some tobacco products that you can no longer purchase at Walmart in the United States as of 2019: e-cigarettes, Juuls, vapes, and vape juices. This change not only includes Walmart locations, but also any Sam’s Club in the US.

This decision to end their sale of e-cigarettes was largely due to negative news coverage and health concerns surrounding vaping.

Does Walmart Sell Cigars?

Yes, Walmart does sell cigars. You won’t find a huge selection of cigars to choose from, but most Walmarts carry a few different brands for cigar enthusiasts.

Walmart does carry cigars in some of its stores, but the tobacco product ban applies to cigars in the states listed above.

Does Walmart Have a Good Selection of Cigarettes?

While specific brands may vary from location to location, Walmart’s variety of cigarettes and other tobacco products is just as wide as you’d expect from a gas station, drug store, or convenience store.

You won’t have as much of a selection to choose from as you would at a smoke shop or cigar shop, but you can still expect to find all the major cigarette brands – including Marlboro, Newport, and Camel – at most stores.

Does the Tobacco Ban Apply to Chewing Tobacco?

Chewing tobacco is a type of smokeless tobacco that’s not burned or inhaled by the user. You may hear chewing tobacco called by other names, such as dipping tobacco, dip, oral tobacco, spitting tobacco, and snuff.

Users of chewing tobacco may chew or suck the tobacco in their mouths and spit out the tobacco juice. Like smoking tobacco products, chewing tobacco can also cause health issues, such as cancer, tooth decay and mouth sores, and gum issues.

Despite Walmart’s ban on tobacco products, the stores still carry chewing tobacco. They offer a wide range of chewing tobacco products at Walmart.

What Do You Need to Purchase Cigarettes at Walmart?

Although you can purchase cigarettes from Walmart, the store chain has restrictions on who can purchase them. To buy any tobacco product, you’ll need some form of state-issued photo ID – like a driver’s license, passport, military ID, or sheriff’s ID.

Forms of ID that don’t come from the government – like a college ID from a university – won’t be accepted at checkout.

Generally, cashiers will ask to see the ID of anyone who looks younger than 40, so people may get carded more often if they’re buying at Walmart compared to smoke shops or other stores.

As far as age requirements go, you’ll also need to be 21 to make the purchase. While some states have already raised the minimum age to 21 for tobacco products, Walmart made the decision in 2019 to raise the age minimum for all their stores, regardless of what your state’s minimum may be.

Keep in mind that Walmart also sells cigarettes in a designated checkout lane – so you won’t be able to purchase them through self-checkout or regular express lanes.

Is Walmart Following FDA Regulations?

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations are important because they protect consumers from harmful and unsafe products. In particular, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requires food manufacturers to follow regulations and provide product recall information to consumers in the event of a product recall.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for ensuring that foods are safe for consumption by making sure that they do not contain ingredients that can cause serious illness or death.

In 2011, Walmart launched a line of pre-made baby food products made with real fruits and vegetables. This was considered a welcome addition to their grocery list, as their standard store brand food had received many complaints about high levels of sodium and sugar.

However, in early 2012, Walmart withdrew these products from shelves after learning that one of their suppliers was using genetically modified corn in their formula.

The same supplier also used another unapproved ingredient called rice protein concentrate in the formula, which has been linked to allergic reactions in some children.

The recall has caused quite a stir within the retail industry as other stores such as Target and Walgreens have also recalled this same formula from shelves due to similar concerns about GMO ingredients.

It seems like Walmart is taking the initiative to follow FDA regulations on GMO ingredients when it comes to food.

Due to this, you won’t be able to find products such as vaping products, electronic cigarettes, Juul Pods, or electronic nicotine delivery systems.

Alternatives to Walmart

Walgreens

Walgreens is another popular name in the world of online shopping. It is an American pharmacy and retail company that operates over 8,600 drugstores throughout the United States.

Rite Aid

Rite Aid is one of the largest drugstore chains in the United States. There are nearly 4,700 locations in 31 states and the District of Columbia, and their stores are also strong on the east and west coasts.

Conclusion: Can You Buy Cigarettes at Walmart?

When it comes to purchasing cigarettes from Walmart, you can expect to find tobacco products at most United States locations – although the store chain has ceased tobacco sales in many of their Canada stores.

This does exclude any e-cigarette products, like vapes and Juuls, but many stores do sell nicotine gum and nicotine lozenges. So, as long as you’ve got your state-issued ID and you’re at least 21 year old, you shouldn’t have an issue buying cigarettes from your local Walmart.