comscore Maine joins Hawaii in raising smoking age to 21 | Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Top News

Maine joins Hawaii in raising smoking age to 21

Honolulu Star-Advertiser logo
Unlimited access to premium stories for as low as $12.95 /mo.
Get It Now
  • ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

    Maine joins California, New Jersey, Hawaii and Oregon in raising the legal age for using and buying tobacco products from 18 to 21.

AUGUSTA, Maine >> Individuals must now be over 21-years-old to buy tobacco in Maine, unless they turned 18 as of July 1.

Maine joins California, New Jersey, Hawaii and Oregon in raising the legal age for using and buying tobacco products from 18 to 21.

Lawmakers last year overrode Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s veto of a bill prohibiting the sale of tobacco and tobacco products such as E-cigarettes to individuals under 21-years-old. The governor argued that adults who are old enough to serve in the military are old enough to decide whether they want to purchase such products.

The American Cancer Society estimated that 2,400 Maine adults die from smoking each year and that smoking directly causes $811 million in Maine health care costs.

Comments (3)

By participating in online discussions you acknowledge that you have agreed to the Terms of Service. An insightful discussion of ideas and viewpoints is encouraged, but comments must be civil and in good taste, with no personal attacks. If your comments are inappropriate, you may be banned from posting. Report comments if you believe they do not follow our guidelines.

Having trouble with comments? Learn more here.

Click here to see our full coverage of the coronavirus outbreak. Submit your coronavirus news tip.

Be the first to know
Get web push notifications from Star-Advertiser when the next breaking story happens — it's FREE! You just need a supported web browser.
Subscribe for this feature

Scroll Up