The U.S. has officially raised the age requirement to buy tobacco to 21.
Last week, Donald Trump signed off on the new age minimum as a part of a spending bill. Now the entire country prohibits the sale of tobacco to anyone under the age of 21, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). On Friday, the FDA noted on its website that “it is now illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product — including cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes — to anyone under 21. FDA will provide additional details on this issue as they become available.”
The raised age range for tobacco is just one of the several provisions outside of the spending measures that are connected to the $1.4 trillion spending agreement. Last week, Trump tweeted the spending agreement, “raises smoking age to 21! BIG!”His tweet said, “I will be signing our 738 Billion Dollar Defense Spending Bill today. It will include 12 weeks Paid Parental Leave, gives our troops a raise, importantly creates the SPACE FORCE, SOUTHERN BORDER WALL FUNDING, repeals “Cadillac Tax” on Health Plans, raises smoking age to 21! BIG!”
The smoking age hike had bipartisan support in the Senate after being introduced in May by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., according to USA Today. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia had already risen the minimum age on tobacco purchases to 21, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
