The state of Texas has raised the tobacco age to 21 with Republican Governor Greg Abbott signing Senate Bill 21 into law. The bill had the support of the company JUUL who took full-page advertisements in state newspapers in support of the measure. Altria, the parent company of Nat Sherman Cigars owns a 35% stake in the e-cig company. The bill which takes effect on September 1, 2019 passed the House of Representatives by a […]
You can now add Maryland to the growing list of states that have raised the tobacco purchase age to 21. On Monday May 13th, Maryland Republican Governor signed a bill raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in the state to 21-years-old with an exemption for active members the military. HB 1169 passed the House with a vote of 101-35 and the Senate with a vote of 32-13. The new law goes into effect October […]
Back in February 2019 the Arkansas legislature proposed a Tobacco 21 bill called HB 1980. That bill has passed the house by a vote of 31-1 and the Senate 66-9. The new bill bans the purchase of all tobacco products to those under 21 years old while providing an exemption to members of the military and smokers who turn 19 prior to the law taking effect on September 1, 2019. Arkansas is set to become […]
Earlier this year the legislative body of Vermont took up a tobacco 21 bill for 5th consecutive year. This time the Tobacco 21 bill passed the house by a vote of 124-14 after passing in the Senate. The bill now heads to the desk of Republican Governor Phil Scott who is expected to sign the bill pending a review. The new law will go into effect on September 1st, 2019. Under the new law selling […]
The state of Florida saw a bill that would raise the tobacco purchase age in the Sunshine state from 18 to 21 earlier this year. House Speaker Jose Oliva stated the House won’t pass the proposal after the Senate signed off on bill SB 1618. The bill which had the backing of JUUL labs which is partial owned by Altria the parent company of Nat Sherman contained a provision that would have prevented local governments […]
According to a press release from the Government of Canada, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health, announced new regulations for plain and standardized appearance of tobacco packages and products will begin to come into force on November 9, 2019. According to the press release, “These packages and products are powerful promotional vehicles. Reducing the appeal of tobacco products is an important step toward protecting Canadians, particularly youth, from inducements to using tobacco products […]
Delaware Democrat Governor John Carney has signed a bill raising the legal age to purchase tobacco products in the state from 18 to 21. The bill S.B. 25 was passed by the Delaware House of Representatives earlier this month by a 25-16 vote which was preceded by the senate passing the same bill in mid-March by a 14-6 vote. Retailers caught selling tobacco products to anyone under 21 will face fines ranging from $250 to $1,000. The […]
Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Rep. Donna Shalala (D-FL) announced the introduction of the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 today. The new legislation aims to address the sharp rise in use of tobacco and e-cigarette products among young people. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an alarming 78 percent increase in current e-cigarette use by high school students […]
On Sunday night, Fox News aired a story on how FDA regulation is severely threatening America’s historic premium cigar industry. The piece was filmed at J.C. Newman’s 109-year-old cigar factory in Tampa, Florida and features Eric and Bobby Newman describing J.C. Newman’s efforts to seek relief from FDA regulation. As cigar smokers we appreciate the efforts of cigar makers like JC Newman for keeping this story in the public eye. For those interested in the […]
You can add Iowa to the list of states looking to enact a Tobacco 21 law. This week Senator Charles Schneider (R-West Des Moines) introduced S.F. 607. The bill was sent to the Appropriations Subcommittee who recommended amendment and passage. The bill would make it illegal for a person to sell or give tobacco products to a person under 21 years of age. It also makes it illegal for a person under 21 to possess tobacco […]