As a retail industry expert and longtime Instacart user, one of the most common questions I get is whether the popular grocery delivery service also offers cigarette delivery. It‘s easy to see why—for many smokers, keeping a steady supply of cigarettes on hand is a constant challenge. Busy schedules, transportation issues, or simply not living near a tobacco retailer can make it difficult to maintain a nicotine habit. And in our modern on-demand economy, it‘s only natural to hope you could get your smokes brought right to your door with a few taps on your phone.
Unfortunately, the answer is no—Instacart does not currently deliver cigarettes or any other tobacco products as part of its core offerings. However, the full story behind this policy is a bit more complex. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll break down exactly why Instacart doesn‘t deliver cigarettes, what other tobacco delivery options are out there, and everything else smokers and shoppers need to know.
The State of Smoking in the U.S.
To set the stage, let‘s take a quick look at some key data points on the current landscape of tobacco use in America:
- According to the CDC, an estimated 30.8 million U.S. adults (12.5%) currently smoke cigarettes as of 2020. This is down from over 20% in 2005, but still represents a significant portion of the adult population.
- Cigarette smoking remains the leading cause of preventable disease, disability and death in the U.S., responsible for over 480,000 deaths per year.
- Smoking rates vary considerably by age, race, income, education level and geographic region. For example, 25-44 year-olds, people below the poverty line, and those in the Midwest and South tend to have higher than average smoking prevalence.
- The vast majority (over 80%) of current smokers buy their cigarettes from convenience stores, gas stations, tobacco outlets and other traditional retail channels. Less than 3% report using vape shops or online sources.
This data helps underscore both the persistent demand for cigarettes among a significant subset of the adult population, and the dominance of local brick-and-mortar retail in serving this demand. These are important factors to keep in mind when considering the potential for cigarette delivery services.
Why Instacart Doesn‘t Deliver Cigarettes
Now, let‘s unpack the specific reasons behind Instacart‘s no-tobacco policy. As the nation‘s leading grocery delivery platform, Instacart may seem ideally positioned to offer cigarette delivery in theory. The company already has the logistics infrastructure, shopper network, and retailer partnerships in place to get all sorts of products delivered to customers‘ doors. And with cigarettes being such a high-demand item, surely there would be a ready market for the convenience of tobacco delivery.
However, there are several major challenges and concerns that make cigarette delivery a non-starter for Instacart:
Regulatory Hurdles: Tobacco is one of the most highly regulated consumer product categories out there. The federal minimum age to purchase is 21, with a growing number of states and localities raising it even higher. Many jurisdictions also have additional restrictions on tobacco retail licenses, pricing, promotions, pack sizes, flavors and more. Navigating this complex web of ever-evolving tobacco laws across Instacart‘s thousands of grocery and retail partners would be a massive compliance burden.
Brand Image Concerns: Over the past several decades, public opinion on smoking has soured considerably as the negative health impacts have become common knowledge. Tobacco use is increasingly stigmatized, and many companies actively avoid any association with cigarettes for fear of damaging their reputation. As an innovative, health-conscious brand, Instacart has little incentive to wade into the controversial tobacco category.
Liability Risks: Selling or providing tobacco to underage individuals comes with serious legal penalties, including steep fines and potential criminal charges in some cases. Given the volume of orders that Instacart processes, even a small percentage of mistakes or bad actors could generate enormous liability exposure. One high-profile incident of an Instacart shopper getting caught delivering cigarettes to a minor could spark a PR disaster and invite increased regulatory scrutiny on the entire platform.
Logistical Challenges: Many of Instacart‘s grocery and retail partners have stopped selling tobacco in recent years due to declining sales and the hassle of the regulatory requirements. Major chains like CVS, Target, Wegmans and more no longer stock cigarettes at all. Even those stores that do sell tobacco often merchandise it in secure, age-restricted areas or behind the counter—setups that are difficult for Instacart shoppers to navigate. And with a rapidly shrinking share of cigarette sales, tobacco is becoming a less appealing category for large retailers.
When you add it all up, the practical and legal barriers to cigarette delivery are simply too high for a broad-based platform like Instacart to take on. The potential upside of tapping into this market is more than outweighed by the substantial risks and downsides. So for now, at least, Instacart is steering clear of tobacco altogether.
Cigarette Delivery Alternatives
That said, smokers aren‘t completely out of luck if they‘re in need of a cigarette delivery option. There are a few other avenues to consider outside of Instacart:
DoorDash: The leading restaurant delivery app has recently expanded into delivering convenience items like cigarettes in select markets. However, they have fairly stringent ID verification requirements to avoid underage sales. Customers must be 21+ and upload a valid government ID, which a Dasher then checks against their face at the point of delivery. Selection is also limited to what‘s available at participating convenience and grocery stores.
Online Tobacco Retailers: A number of online smoke shops offer direct shipping of cigarettes and other tobacco products, usually with a minimum purchase quantity to offset the shipping costs. However, these sites have varying degrees of sophistication in their age verification procedures. And most states prohibit shipping tobacco products directly to consumers, so availability is highly limited based on location.
Specialized Tobacco Delivery Services: In some major metro areas, you can find local courier services that specialize exclusively in on-demand cigarette and tobacco product delivery. These are typically small operations that partner with a network of local smoke shops and convenience stores. They use their own verification procedures to attempt to comply with age restrictions. But without the scale and resources of a large platform, oversight is limited.
Informal Proxy Purchases: Some smokers simply rely on friends, family members, or willing strangers to pick up cigarettes for them when mobility is limited. While not strictly above-board, this informal "cigarette run" economy has long existed and remains common. However, it‘s obviously a legally and ethically dubious option that I certainly don‘t recommend or endorse.
Reduced-Risk Alternatives: For those looking to satisfy their nicotine cravings without combustible cigarettes, there are a number of emerging products positioned as reduced-risk alternatives. These include e-cigarettes/vapes, nicotine pouches, lozenges, gum, and more. Some of these options, like certain types of vaping products, are available for delivery via Instacart and other mainstream apps (subject to age restrictions). Others can be purchased online or in person at drugstores, vape shops and other outlets.
The Future of Tobacco
While the current on-demand delivery landscape for cigarettes remains limited, it‘s worth considering how this might change in the future. Smoking rates have been steadily declining for decades, and recently hit an all-time low of just 12.5% of U.S. adults. This reflects both the success of public health campaigns around the dangers of smoking, and the rise of alternative nicotine products seen as potentially less harmful substitutes.
As traditional cigarette use continues to fall out of favor culturally and financially, it‘s likely that convenience-oriented delivery services will have even less incentive to cater to this market. It‘s hard to imagine Instacart reversing course and eagerly embracing cigarette delivery, unless some major advancement in age verification technology changes the risk/benefit equation.
However, the ongoing popularity of e-cigarettes, vaping and other electronic nicotine products could shake up the tobacco delivery landscape. These alternatives are already more prevalent on mainstream delivery apps than combustible cigarettes. And if public perception continues to view these options as "safer" than smoking, demand for delivery could grow. But this trend would have to overcome significant countervailing concerns around youth vaping and potential unknown long-term health impacts.
Key Takeaways for Instacart Users
So in summary, here are the key points that every Instacart shopper and tobacco user should know:
- Instacart does not deliver cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco or any other combustible tobacco products in any location as of 2023.
- This policy is unlikely to change anytime soon due to a combination of regulatory issues, liability risks, and limited demand from retail partners.
- Some other delivery apps and services, most notably DoorDash, do offer limited cigarette delivery in select markets. But expect strict age verification requirements.
- Consumers should never ask or pressure their Instacart shopper to purchase cigarettes for them off-platform. This puts the shopper in an extremely difficult position and could jeopardize their access to the platform.
- Certain reduced-risk nicotine products, like mainstream e-cigarette brands, may be available via Instacart and other delivery services. But users must still be 21+ and delivery is subject to local restrictions.
- Traditional retail outlets like convenience stores, gas stations and smoke shops are likely to remain the primary channel for in-person cigarette purchases for the foreseeable future.
At the end of the day, as much as some smokers might wish otherwise, cigarette delivery is unlikely to ever be as simple and streamlined as ordering groceries or takeout. The unique legal and societal considerations around tobacco continue to make it a highly restricted product category. And with smoking rates on a long-term decline, the business case for investing in cigarette delivery infrastructure is only getting weaker over time.
So for now, at least, smokers in need of a pack will have to look beyond Instacart to get their fix from the convenience of home. But with a little research and an open mind, there are still workable options to be found.
