Legal Age to Buy Nicotine

Includes all types of tobacco products: cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, electronic nicotine delivery systems (including e-cigarettes) and hookah. On December 20, 2019, Congress increased the MLSA for tobacco products from ages 18 to 21. This law, known as Tobacco 21 or T21, came into force immediately, and it is now illegal for a retailer to sell tobacco products – including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes – to anyone under the age of 21.8 The new federal MHA applies to all retail establishments and persons without exception; It applies to retailers in all states, DC, all U.S. territories, and tribal lands. There are no exceptions for active military personnel or veterans between the ages of 18 and 20.8, as was previously the case in some states.9 On the 20th. In December 2019, the President signed a law amending the Federal Law on Food, Medicines and Cosmetics and raising the minimum age for the sale of tobacco products from 18 to 21. This law (known as “Tobacco 21” or “T21”) came into effect immediately, and it is now illegal for a retailer to sell tobacco products – including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes – to anyone under the age of 21. The new federal minimum age applies to all retail establishments and to persons without exception. The momentum accelerated as cities and states across the country began raising their legal age for selling tobacco products, including e-cigarettes.

Nineteen states and D.C. have passed 21 tobacco laws. Since the federal law was passed, 14 other states have passed laws raising their state`s selling age to 21 in November 2020. A purchase age of 21 is consistent with alcohol laws. Raising the legal drinking age to 21 has helped reduce drunk driving deaths and reduce alcohol dependence among adolescents. Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Many high school students would live to age 18 — the previous legal age to buy tobacco and e-cigarettes in most states — during their senior year of high school. They often bought tobacco and e-cigarettes for young students. Young brains are sensitive to the addictive properties of nicotine because their brains are still developing. Research shows that children often turn to older friends and classmates as sources of cigarettes. Raising the smoking age to 21 would reduce the likelihood that a high school student could legally purchase tobacco products for other underage students and friends.

* With respect to tobacco purchases, Mississippi state law prohibits anyone under the age of 21 from purchasing tobacco products or nicotine alternatives (including e-cigarettes). However, for tobacco sales, Mississippi only prohibits the sale of alternative nicotine products (including e-cigarettes) to anyone under the age of 21. Because the Mississippi MLSA for cigarettes and other tobacco products remains at age 18, Mississippi is not counted among the states that have increased their MLSA within the STATE system to 21. In December 2019, a Federal Tobacco Law 21 was passed, raising the national purchasing age for all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, to 21. This legislation places the burden on the retailer by making it illegal to sell tobacco products to minors under the age of 21. This law is generally enforced through fines and protects young teens from accessing tobacco products through friends they can legally buy. With the passage of federal law T21, there have also been corresponding updates to the Synar program.