Cigarette battle: Calif. lawmakers expect fight after raising smoking age

Health

Cigarette battle: Calif. lawmakers expect fight after raising smoking age

A new California law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday means, beginning June 9, it will be a crime in the state to sell or give tobacco to anyone except military personnel under age 21. The new law also bans?the sale of vaping products to people under that age. Violators face fines of up to $5,000.?Lawmakers expect tobacco interests not to let it pass without a fight. Cigarette makers and advocates have threatened to target the changes at the ballot box and now need to collect 366,000 valid signatures by early August to ask voters to reject the new laws in November.

The fierce opposition from Big Tobacco on this measure proves just how important this law is and how much their business model relies on targeting our kids.

California state Sen. Ed Hernandez

California joins Hawaii, which in April became the first state in the nation to raise the legal smoking age to 21. Other jurisdictions around the country have made the change, including New York City and San Francisco.?Veterans organizations and Republican lawmakers in California objected to the bill, saying people old enough to die for their country are old enough to use tobacco.?Supporters of the law said it aims to deter adolescents from the harmful and sometimes fatal effects of nicotine addiction.

By increasing the tobacco age to 21, the nation’s largest state provides incredible momentum to similar efforts nationwide.

Matthew Myers, president of Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids