MA Legislature Approves Raising Age Limit To Buy Tobacco, E-cigs

BOSTON, MA — The Massachusetts House and Senate passed H4784, An act to protect youth from the health risks of tobacco and nicotine addiction, which takes a comprehensive approach to tobacco control efforts in the Commonwealth.

If signed by the governor, the bill would increase the statewide age of sale for tobacco products - including e-cigarettes - from 18 to 21, include e-cigarettes in the smoke-free workplace law, and prohibit the sale of tobacco products in pharmacies.

It's a move that would put the entire state in line with the number of communities, such as Boston and Brookline, that have already raised the purchasing age limit for tobacco.

Advocates, including those from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network praised the move.

“We know that Big Tobacco continues to target our kids to the tune of more than $9 billion on marketing each year – pouring a whopping $125.1 million into Massachusetts. Today, the House and Senate have taken a huge step towards combating the tobacco industry’s influence on Massachusetts’ youth and protecting future generations of our children from becoming addicted to this deadly product," said Marc Hymovitz, Massachusetts director of government relations for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in a statement.

Research shows that if a person does not begin smoking at a young age, they are much less likely to ever smoke. Some 95 percent of adults who smoke started smoking before the age of 21 and nearly all of them started by age 26.

"Raising the age of sale for tobacco products is a step toward saving lives, and restricting youth and young adult access to tobacco products can be a critical component of a comprehensive strategy to reduce initiation and lifelong tobacco addiction," said Hymovitz.

If this age limit increase passes, Massachusetts would become the sixth state to raise the age of purchase on the tobacco after New Jersey, Maine, California, Oregon and Hawaii.

Previously:

MA Could Raise Age To Purchase Tobacco to 21

Waltham High School Students Fight Tobacco Use

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File Photo by Jenna Fisher/Patch Staff