[1][2] It also refers to various federal, state, and local laws based on Tobacco 21's model policy, raising the minimum sales age to 21.
[5] Several national non-profit organizations, including the American Cancer Society in Oregon,[6] had supported raising the tobacco age.
The Tobacco 21 movement emerged in February 2003 when Needham, Massachusetts became the first municipality to enact a law raising the minimum legal sales age to 21.
[citation needed] Tobacco 21 law supporters believe that teenagers have fewer acquaintances aged 21 who could purchase nicotine delivery products for them.
The U.S.-wide legal age of 21 for the purchase of alcohol products is credited for reduced consumption among young people, as well as decreased alcohol addiction and drunk driving cases, but this claim is widely disputed and further research suggests raising the age had no effect on underage access and drunk driving rates.
Older studies, including a review in 2011, provided evidence against the idea that raising the drinking age to 21 has actually saved lives in the long run.
[36] The legislation of this bill arose after the Institute of Medicine released a report explaining that raising the age to 21 would have significant public health benefits.
A press release on the governor’s website explained the decision by referencing that in the United States, 95 percent of adults smokers begin smoking before the age of 21.
[45] In August 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced a final rule that raises the minimum age for certain restrictions on tobacco product sales.
[47] In November 2013, New York City enacted legislation that raised the age to purchase tobacco products to 21, and also set a minimum price of $10.50 per pack of cigarettes, among other provisions.
[53] In December 2015, Cleveland passed a local ordinance to ban the sale of tobacco and nicotine products to any persons under the age of 21.
[54] In March 2016, San Francisco joined the ranks of major American cities to pass an ordinance to raise the tobacco and nicotine sales age to 21.
[61] Sajid Javid, the former UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, advocated for raising smoking age in the United Kingdom to 21.
[65][66][67][13] Some suggest that the age restriction laws are merely a way to placate critics of Big Tobacco, appeasing them with legislation that may be ineffective or distracting them from other solutions.