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Legal Age To Buy Cigarettes, Vaping Products Now 21 In Connecticut

Young adults vaping
Richard Vogel
/
AP

Connecticut is the latest state to raise the age for the purchase of tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, from 18 to 21. The new law goes into effect Tuesday.

The American Lung Association says every day in the U.S. close to 2,500 youth under the age of 18 try their first cigarette and more than 400 become addicted to tobacco. Ruth Canovi, the association’s director of advocacy in Connecticut, says the new law, known as Tobacco 21, will help protect children and teenagers from a lifetime of tobacco-related diseases and death.  

“It’s an important policy at a pretty critical time when we are looking at the youth tobacco use epidemic throughout the country. Tobacco 21 is a great step in the right direction. But it is certainly not the end for tobacco regulation.”

Connecticut joins 17 states, including New York, in raising the age to 21.

State officials are scheduled to meet with New York officials later this month to discuss a common policy on the regulation of e-cigarettes. 

New York has already banned the sale of most flavored vaping products.  

As WSHU Public Radio’s award-winning senior political reporter, Ebong Udoma draws on his extensive tenure to delve deep into state politics during a major election year.