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7-Eleven pays DC $1.2M in vape lawsuit settlement
7-Eleven will pay $1.2 million to resolve allegations that 16 of its stores illegally sold vapes and e-cigarettes near DC schools.
WASHINGTON, D.C. - 7-Eleven is being held accountable for putting profits over public health. The District of Columbia's Attorney General announced a $1.2 million settlement with 7-Eleven after an investigation found the company illegally sold thousands of electronic smoking devices at 16 locations near middle and high schools.
The investigation revealed the sales continued even after the company was notified of the ban.
What we know:
The District of Columbia’s Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, has announced a $1.2 million settlement with 7-Eleven over the illegal sale of vapes and e-cigarettes near DC middle and high schools. An investigation by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that a total of 16 7-Eleven locations continued to sell the products even after a ban went into effect, threatening to undermine public health for youth.
According to Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb, the OAG’s investigation revealed that since a DC law went into effect on October 1, 2022, all 16 7-Eleven stores within a quarter-mile of a middle or high school illegally sold thousands of electronic smoking devices. In total, the stores sold or offered for sale more than 7,500 devices in violation of the law.
Elf Bar disposable vape flavored vaping e-cigarette products are displayed in a convenience store on June 23, 2022 in El Segundo, California. Vaping company Juul Labs said Thursday it would appeal a decision by the US Food and Drug Administration ord …
The law that went into effect Oct. 2022:
- Prohibits the sale of all flavored tobacco—including flavored synthetic nicotine products.
- Prohibits the sale of all electronic smoking devices within a quarter mile of any middle or high school in the District.
FILE - The logo of a 7-eleven store is pictured. (BO AMSTRUP/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images)
Payment to resolve allegations
The lawsuit alleged that 7-Eleven was aware of the upcoming ban, having notified its stores in August 2022. Despite this, the illegal sales continued. As a result of the settlement, 7-Eleven has agreed to pay the $1.2 million fine to the District and must permanently stop selling and marketing vapes and e-cigarettes at stores located near schools.
The company is also required to provide annual training to its staff and implement a monitoring program for franchise stores to ensure compliance with the law. If a franchise store receives four notices of violations within a two-year period, 7-Eleven must terminate its franchise agreement.
"Selling vapes and e-cigarettes near schools is illegal because, particularly for young people, these nicotine products are addictive and unhealthy," said Attorney General Schwalb. "7-Eleven’s illegal sales threatened to reverse the progress we’ve made reducing tobacco use amongst youth. Protecting the safety of our community is our top priority at the Office of the Attorney General, and that includes enforcing local laws designed to protect the health of our children."
You can view the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) E-Cigarette Enforcement Map to locate cigarette retail businesses within a quarter mile of schools in the district.
DLCP E-Cigarette Enforcement Map (Ward 2 example screenshot as of Sept. 9, 2025)
The Source: This article is based on a press release from the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and previous information from the DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection.