NEW SALES AGE FOR ALL TOBACCO PRODUCTS
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In December 2019, President Trump 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.
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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.
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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)
DETAILS ABOUT THE
T21 LAW
Minimum Age to Purchase Tobacco Products is 21 Years
Parents need to understand how prevalent vaping is and the serious health risks it can inflict upon our youth. Learn how you can protect your kids from this growing threat by understanding their perceptions of vaping
MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS
HIGH SCHOOL TEENS
WHAT CAN PARENTS DO?
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The best thing you can do is educate yourself about vapes and have open and continuous conversations with your kids about them.
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Share what you’ve learned about vaping, like the dangers of nicotine addiction and the harmful chemicals.
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Ask your child what they would do if someone asked them to vape and offer suggestions on how to say no.
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Always encourage them to be their own person, make their own decisions, and not cave-in to peer pressure.
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Your kids want your guidance and want you to help them make good choices.
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This is great news for you!
RESOURCES & CITATIONS
In spring 2020, the Paso del Norte Health Foundation and YMCA of El Paso conducted a set of focus groups on vaping in our community. The interviews involved pre-teens, teens, parents, and school administrators from El Paso, Texas, and Las Cruces, New Mexico. The information shared throughout this website contains insights from those groups as well as additional information (listed below) sourced from other respected vaping resources.
