States and Localities That Have Raised the Tobacco Sale Age to 21
STATES AND LOCALITIES THAT HAVE RAISED THE MINIMUM LEGAL SALE AGE FOR TOBACCO PRODUCTS TO 21 On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed legislation to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, and raise the federal minimum age of sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years, effective immediately. Prior to the federal increase, nineteen states – Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington – had raised the tobacco age to 21, along with Washington, DC and at least 540 localities, covering over half of the US population. Subsequent to the federal age of sale increase, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wyoming have raised their tobacco age to 21.The strength of state and local laws, such as their enforcement and penalties, varies substantially. States States listed in order of effective date. States in bold passed their legislation prior to the federal minimum age of sale increase. Hawaii (effective 1/1/16) New York (effective 11/13/19) California (effective 6/9/16) Washington (effective 1/1/20) New Jersey (effective 11/1/17) Oklahoma (effective 5/19/20) Oregon (effective 1/1/18) Iowa (effective 6/29/20) Maine (effective 7/1/18) Indiana (effective 7/1/20) Massachusetts (effective 12/31/18) Pennsylvania (effective 7/1/20) Illinois (effective 7/1/19) South Dakota (effective 7/1/20) Virginia (effective 7/1/19) Utah (effective 7/1/20) Delaware (effective 7/16/19) Wyoming (effective 7/1/20) Arkansas (effective 9/1/19) Colorado (effective 7/14/20) Texas (effective 9/1/19) Kentucky (effective 8/1/20) Vermont (effective 9/1/19) Minnesota (effective 8/1/20) Connecticut (effective 10/1/19) Mississippi (effective 7/8/20) Maryland (effective 10/1/19) New Mexico (effective 1/1/21) Ohio (effective 10/17/19) Tennessee (effective 1/1/21) Localities Local laws enacted after increase in federal age of sale not listed.
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