Starting on Jan. 1, 2020, the legal age to smoke or vape in the US will increase.
Congress has passed a new law banning the sale and use of tobacco and vape products to minors under 21 in all 50 states and territories.
The legislation—awaiting approval from the White House—is part of a larger spending bill that will prevent a federal government shutdown, BuzzFeed News reported.
While the current law requires a minimum purchase age of 18, some states have already extended that number to 19 or 21 (though U.S. military members are often exempt).
This summer, nationwide Walmart, Rite Aid, and Walgreens stores stopped selling smoking products to customers under 21.
Cigarette consumption peaked in 1965, when about 50 percent of men and 33 percent of women were sucking down 100+ butts a year. Usage began to wane in the new millennium, dropping to less than 25 percent of adults who now smoke tobacco.
Children, however, are a different story: In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that upwards of 4 million middle and high school students currently use tobacco products.
Enticed by popular fruit and menthol or mint flavors, growing numbers of kids are turning to vaping as an alternative to traditional tobacco rolls. According to the National Youth Tobacco Survey, more than a quarter of high school students are e-cigarette users.
Recent reports of vaping-related respiratory illnesses have amplified concerns and spurred the White House to action: Donald Trump in September announced plans to ban non-tobacco-flavored electronic cigarette products.
This summer, San Francisco became the first U.S. city to ban all sales of battery-powered e-cigarettes, making it illegal to sell nicotine vaporizer products in stores, or for online retailers to ship goods to Bay Area addresses.
Michigan and New York followed suit, halting the sale of flavored nicotine vaping products in retail stores and online. The restrictions extend to misleading marketing, including the use of terms like “clean,” “safe,” and “healthy,” which may perpetuate ideas that vaping products are harmless.
More on Geek.com:
- FDA Targets Teens With Magic E-Cig Prevention Ads
- E-Cigarette Explodes in Teen’s Mouth, Shatters His Jaw
- Hackers Use E-Cigarettes to Transmit Malware
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