NEW SALES AGE FOR ALL TOBACCO PRODUCTS
-
In December 2019, the President signed a new law that raised the minimum legal age to sell cigarettes, electronic cigarettes, and other tobacco products from 18 years to 21 years. There are no exemptions under the federal law.
-
The T21 law applies to sales of tobacco products – including cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, hookah tobacco, cigars, pipe tobacco, electronic nicotine delivery systems including e-cigarettes and e-liquids – to anyone under 21 years of age.
-
For more information about this legislation raising the federal minimum age to purchase tobacco products, visit the FDA website by clicking the button below:
DID YOU KNOW?
Although current youth smoking rates have decreased, the use of electronic cigarettes and youth vaping has now overtaken conventional smoking.
Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States.
95%
Approximately 95% of smokers started smoking before they reached the age of 21.
18% of 15-to-17 year-olds identified as current vape product users.*
According to 2019 Texas Youth Risk Behavior Survey (past 30 days use)
Effective immediately, it is now illegal for a retailer to sell any tobacco product—including cigarettes, cigars, and e-cigarettes—to anyone under 21. The new federal minimum age of purchase applies to all retail establishments and persons with no exceptions.
WHY RAISE THE AGE LIMIT?
TEXAS TOBACCO USE FACTS
TEXAS TOBACCO RETAILERS
SCHOOL DISTRICT "TOOL KIT"
The Smoke Free Initiative is working to help your district educate students about the harms related to tobacco use as well as on the change to the minimum legal sales age of tobacco products from 18 to 21 years.
The school "tool kit" was designed to encourage communication with campuses, especially during Red Ribbon Week.
In this tool-kit you will find:
​
-
An information sheet for staff and parents
-
Shareable social media posts
-
A reference sheet with links to additional resources for both administrators and parents
SOURCES CITED
-
Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids. (2018, January). 21 Reasons to Raise the Tobacco Sale Age to 21 in Texas. Retrieved from Texas 21: www.texas21.org
-
Crosby, K. (2019). Prevention Teens from Using E-Cigarettes. Youth Tobacco Cessation: Science and Treatment Strategies (p. Slide 11). Washington, D.C.:
Institute For Advanced Clinical Trials For Children.
-
Institute of Medicine. (2015). Public Health Implications of Raising the Minimum Age of Legal Access to Tobacco Products. Washington, D.C.: The National Academies Press.
-
Texas Health and Human Services, Texas Department of State Health Services. (2018, June 1). Texas Health Data. Retrieved from Texas Youth Risk Behavior Survey, Year 2017:
-
Tobacco Twenty One. (2018). Reduce and Prevent Youth Smoking in El Paso Texas. Columbus: Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation.
-
truth initiative. (2017). Where we stand: Raising the tobacco age to 21. Washington, D.C.: truth initiative.
-
​U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of the Surgeon General. (2016). Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health. Washington, DC: HHS.
​ -
Wang, T. W. (2016). Harm Perceptions of Intermittent Tobacco Product Use Among U.S. Youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 750-753.
-
Winickoff, J. P.-B. (2014, November). Retail Impact of Raising Tobacco Sales Age to 21 Years. American Journal of Public Health, 104(11). Retrieved from www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, January 1, 2019.
