Browsing Tag

21

Hawaii Becomes First State To Go 21

On Friday the Governor of Hawaii, David Ige signed a bill into law that makes Hawaii the first state to change the legal smoke age to 21. The state senate passed the bill back in April and accord to Ige, “Raising the minimum age as part of our comprehensive tobacco control efforts will help reduce tobacco use among our youth and increase the likelihood that our [children] will grow up tobacco-free“ Violation of the law will result […]

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California Senate Passes 21 Tobacco Purchase Age

Earlier today, the California Senate approved a bill that would raise the legal age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21. The bill, SB 151,  was introduced by Democrat Senator Ed Hernandez who argued that 90% of all tobacco users start before 21. The bill was supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network and the California Medical Assn. Opponents include the California Retailers Assn., the Cigar Assn. of […]

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Massachusetts

Law | Methuen, MA Goes to 21

And another one bites the dust. Another city in Massachusetts has seen the age to buy tobacco raise from 18 to 21. The Board of Health passed the new rules with a unanimous vote. The new measure will go into effect on September 1, 2015 and will be joined with a ban on flavored tobacco and single cigars in convince stores. Both products will still be available at tobacco shop where no one under 21 […]

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Law | Washington State Changes Bill to Age 19

Washington state is one of a growing number of states looking to raise the smoking age, however this week House Bill 1458 which was looking to raise the age required to purchase or use to 21 was amended by the House Finance Committee. The amended bill which passed by a vote of 9-7 changes the age from 21 to 18 and would push the effective date back by four years. The bill which is not […]

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Massachusetts

Law | South Hadley, MA Now a 21 Town

You can add another municipality to the list of places in Massachusetts where you have to be 21 to smoke and purchase tobacco products. In South Hadley, Massachusetts the Board of Health met yesterday and passed the new measure with a unanimous vote. The new law will go into effect on April 1st. South Hadley, Massachusetts is home to 17, 500 residents over 17.4 square miles and was founded in 1659.  

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News | Vermont to Join 21 Movement ?

In Massachusetts city after city has begun to raise the smoking age to 21. States such as California, Washington, Utah and Rhode Island have bills on the table that would raise the age from 18. You can now add Vermont to the mix. Representative George Till, a Democrat from Jericho who proposed similar legislation last year has introduced a measure to raise the age again this year to 21. In a hearing before the House […]

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Law | Rhode Island Propose Raising Age to 21

You can add Rhode Island to the growing list of states looking to raise the legal age to purchase tobacco to 21. State Representative Tereza Tanzi, a democrat from South Kingstown, Narragansett has introduced bill H-5225 which seeks to raise the purchase age from 18 to 21. A press release from the State House mentions that the American Lung Association believes that the average age a person begins smoking is 20.1 years. The proposal is […]

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Law | Utah Looking To Raise Age To 21

Representative Kraig Powell of Heber City, Utah has reintroduced a bill that would raise the tobacco purchase age to 21. The bill which was submitted last year by the Republican failed in the state senate at that time. It isn’t the only tobacco bill that has been proposed by the representative as he has another bill that would prohibit individuals under the age of 19 from entering a tobacco shop unless accompanied by a parent […]

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Law | California Looking To Raise Tobacco Age

In California, Senator Ed Hernandez a Democrat from West Covina introduced legislation that would raise the smoking age in the state from 18 to 21. According to Hernandez who is an optometrist he has support for the bill from various health group, American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society. The bill is expected to meet strong opposition from the tobacco industry. Luther Cobb, MD, president of the California Medical Association said, “that increasing the […]

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Massachusetts

Law | Leverett, MA Joins 21 Club

The Leverett board of health officially voted on Wednesday night to change the legal age to purchase tobacco from 18 to 21. The move makes Leverett one of 20 communities in the state of Massachusetts to raise the age. The board which voted on the measure at their meeting last night did so in unanimous fashion. They also passed a law prohibiting people from smoking within 20 feet of work buildings or public places. The […]

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