Federal Law Raises Legal Smoking and Vaping Age to 21
A new federal law is set to take immediate effect in July, raising the minimum legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 nationwide. This legislation, signed by President Trump in late 2019, makes it illegal for retailers to sell cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, and other vaping products to anyone under 21 years old.
The change aims to curb youth access to nicotine, though reactions among college students are mixed. Some, like Bloomsburg University sophomore Trinity Benol, 19, had already quit smoking but noted that if she hadn’t, she might have relied on others to obtain products. Others, like 20-year-old Steve Niro from New Jersey, are unaffected as their home states had already enacted similar 21-plus laws. Niro cited health concerns and reports of vaping-related hospitalizations as his motivation for quitting.
Institutions like Bloomsburg University continue to enforce the Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA), prohibiting smoking and vaping in academic buildings and residence halls, with financial penalties for violations in non-designated areas.
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