Sales of Tobacco Products to Anyone Under 21 Now Illegal

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has raised the federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years, USA Today reports.

“It is now illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product – including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes – to anyone under 21,” the FDA website states.

According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, 19 states have raised the minimum age to buy tobacco products to 21: Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.

Washington, DC, and more than 500 cities and towns also have raised the minimum age.