California Lawmakers Vote to Raise Tobacco-Purchase Age Limit to 21
California appears poised to become the second state in the union to raise its age limit to purchase tobacco products to 21 years old after lawmakers there approved legislation calling for the action.
By a vote of 26-10, the California Senate last Thursday passed SBX2-7, which seeks to change the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 years old. On March 3, the California Assembly passed a similar measure, and now all that's needed to confirm the age boost is Gov. Jerry Brown's signature.
Gov. Brown is expected to sign the measure and thus pave the way to make California the second state (after Hawaii) to raise its minimum tobacco-purchase age to 21.
As of mid-December, at least 115 localities in nine states—including New York City, Boston, Cleveland and both Kansas Cities—have increased the tobacco-purchase age to 21.
