Congress Voted to Raise the Tobacco-Buying Age to 21. Here ’s What That Could Do to the Vaping Industry

Congress this week passed perhaps the most dramatic change to U.S. tobacco regulation in a decade, raising the federal legal age of purchase from 18 to 21. That provision, part of a spending bill that must still be signed into law by President Donald Trump, would apply not only to traditional tobacco products such as cigarettes and cigars, but also to e-cigarettes—products that have lately been caught in regulatory cross-hairs, sparked by rising rates of use among teenagers. According to the latest federal data, 27.5% of high school students reported using e-cigarettes during the past month. Raising the legal age of purchase is meant in part to curb that trend by preventing teenagers from buying vaping products, either for personal use or to distribute to younger classmates. So-called “Tobacco 21” legislation has already been implemented in almost 20 states as well as numerous cities across the country. The new legislation, which would take effect in the summer of 2020, would make 21 the mandatory minimum age of purchase for all states.Tobacco 21 is the rare policy supported by both public-health groups and pro-vaping advocates, although the latter’s support sometimes raises eyebrows among the former. Public health officials support it on the premise that it would theoretically keep tobacco products away from young people—which is especially important since most smokers start before they’re 21. In a statement provided to TIME, the American...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized public health Source Type: news