(a) It shall be unlawful for any wholesaler or retailer, with intent to injure competitors or destroy or substantially lessen competition, to advertise, offer to sell, or sell, at retail or wholesale, cigarettes at less than cost to such wholesaler or retailer, as the case may be. It shall be unlawful for any wholesaler or retailer with intent to injure competitors or destroy or substantially lessen competition to offer a rebate in price, to give a rebate in price, to offer a concession of any kind or to give a concession of any kind or nature whatsoever in connection with the sale of cigarettes. It shall be unlawful for any retail dealer to induce or attempt to induce or to procure or attempt to procure the purchase of cigarettes at a price less than “cost to wholesaler” and it shall be unlawful for any retail dealer to induce or attempt to induce or to procure or attempt to procure any rebate or concession of any kind or nature whatsoever in connection with the purchase of cigarettes. Any wholesaler or retailer who violates the provisions of this section shall by guilty of a misdemeanor and be punishable by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars ($500.00).

(b) Evidence of advertisement, offering to sell or sale of cigarettes by any wholesaler, or retailer, at less than cost to him, or evidence of any offer of a rebate in price or the giving of a rebate in price or an offer of a concession or the giving of a concession of any kind or nature whatsoever in connection with the sale of cigarettes or the inducing or attempt to induce or the procuring or the attempt to procure the purchase of cigarettes at a price less than cost to the wholesaler or the retailer shall be prima facie evidence of intent to injure competitors and to destroy or substantially lessen competition.