Verkaufsalter für Tabakwaren in Nordamerika

The minimum purchasing age for tobacco in the United States before 2022 varied by state and territory. Since December 20, 2019, the smoking age in all states and territories is 21 after federal law was passed by

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...

and signed by President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...

. The minimum age is still 18 in some states, e.g. the federal law is not enforced in Arizona, and in Alaska the minimum age in 19; in 2022 the governor

veto A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto ...

ed a senate law to raise it to 21 (since the law also raised taxes).

History

{{See also, Tobacco 21

In the United States, laws regarding the minimum age to purchase and consume tobacco products have been made by states,

territories A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, particularly belonging or connected to a country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually either the total area from which a state may extract power resources or an ...

, the

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and the

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...

. Before 1992, states had the sole power to enforce their own minimum ages. These laws first appeared in the late nineteenth century, with

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

becoming the first state to set a minimum purchase age of sixteen in 1883.{{cite journal , last1=Apollonio , first1=Dorie E. , last2=Glantz , first2=Stanton A. , title=Minimum Ages of Legal Access for Tobacco in the United States From 1863 to 2015 , journal=American Journal of Public Health , pages=1200–1207 , doi=10.2105/AJPH.2016.303172 , date=2016, volume=106 , issue=7 , pmid=27196658 , pmc=4902755 By 1920, around half of states had their minimum purchase age of twenty-one and some simply prohibited " minors" (ages 14–24) from purchasing. During the 1920s, due to

tobacco industry The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies who are engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any ...

lobbying In politics, lobbying, persuasion or interest representation is the act of lawfully attempting to influence the actions, policies, or decisions of government officials, most often legislators or members of regulatory agency, regulatory agencie ...

, the minimum ages were lowered across the U.S. and ranged from sixteen to nineteen. By 1939, all states had age restrictions for tobacco. However, these laws kept changing throughout the 1950s, with

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

repealing its age restrictions. The

American Cancer Society The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. Established in 1913, the society is organized into six geographical regions of both medical and lay volunteers operating in more than ...

recommended the minimum age of eighteen in 1963, the

American Medical Association The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional association and lobbying group of physicians and medical students. Founded in 1847, it is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Membership was approximately 240,000 in 2016. The AMA's state ...

recommended twenty-one in 1985, and the

United States Department of Health and Human Services The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is a cabinet-level executive branch department of the U.S. federal government created to protect the health of all Americans and providing essential human services. Its motto is ...

Office of the Inspector General recommended nineteen or twenty-one. State tobacco laws partly changed in 1992 under the George H.W. Bush administration when

enacted the Alcohol, Drug Abuse, and Mental Health Administration Reorganization Act, whose Synar Amendment forced states to create their own laws to have a minimum age of eighteen to purchase tobacco or else lose funding from the

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA; pronounced ) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitative services ...

. The amendment was passed in response to the teenage smoking rates.{{cite web , last1=Johnston , first1=Lloyd D. , last2=O’Malley , first2=Patrick M. , last3=Bachman , first3=Jerald G. , title=Monitoring the Future national survey results on drug use, 1975–2002 , date=2003 , volume=I: Secondary school students , url=https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Johnston+LD%2C+O%E2%80%99Malley+PM%2C+Bachman+JG.+Monitoring+the+Future+National+survey+results+on+drug+use%2C+1975%E2%80%932002.+Volume+1%3A+Secondary+school+students%2C+%28NIH+Publication+No.03-5375%29.+Bethesda%2C+Maryland%3A+National+Institute+on+Drug+Abuse+2003. , access-date=April 25, 2021 All states raised their ages to either eighteen or nineteen by 1993. In 1997, the

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

enacted regulations making the federal minimum age eighteen,{{cite web , title=Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents , url=https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1996/08/28/X96-10828/regulations-restricting-the-sale-and-distribution-of-cigarettes-and-smokeless-tobacco-to-protect , website=Federal Register , access-date=April 25, 2021 , date=August 28, 1996 though later the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

later terminated the FDA's jurisdiction over tobacco, ending its enforcement practices and leaving it up to states. In 2009, the

Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...

was enacted under the

Barack Obama administration Barack Obama's tenure as the 44th president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 2009, and ended on January 20, 2017. A Democrat from Illinois, Obama took office following a decisive victory over Republican ...

, once again setting a federal minimum age of eighteen and prohibited the FDA from setting a higher minimum purchase age. From 1993 to 2012, the smoking age in all states was either eighteen or nineteen. In 2005, the town of

Needham, Massachusetts Needham ( ) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. A suburb of Boston, its population was 32,091 at the 2020 U.S. Census. It is home of Olin College. History Early settlement Needham was first settled in 1680 with the purchase of a ...

, became the first jurisdiction in the country to raise the minimum purchase age to 21. Between 2012 and 2015, local municipalities across the U.S. began raising their smoking ages to twenty-one, with

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

becoming the first state to raise its age to twenty-one in 2015. This began the shift in states eventually raising their ages to twenty-one due to the teenage

vaping An electronic cigarette is an electronic device that simulates tobacco smoking. It consists of an atomizer, a power source such as a battery, and a container such as a cartridge or tank. Instead of smoke, the user inhales vapor. As such ...

epidemic. By 2019, eighteen states had their minimum purchase ages at twenty-one, thirty states had their ages at eighteen, two had it at nineteen and the District of Columbia had it at twenty-one. On December 20, 2019, with the enactment of the Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2020 signed by President

, the federal smoking age was raised to twenty-one by changing the minimum purchase age in the 1992 Synar Amendment. The

United States Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD or DOD) is an executive branch department of the federal government charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government directly related to national secu ...

followed, raising the age to purchase tobacco to twenty-one on military bases in the U.S. and abroad.

Laws by state

{, class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" , - ! State/territory !! 1883–1950:
First MLAs enacted !! 1950–1970:
Increased marketing towards youth !! 1970–1992:
MLA reforms !! 1992–2009:
Synar Amendment enacted !! 2009–2019:
Tobacco Control Act enacted !! 2019–present:
Tobacco 21 enacted , - , {{flag, Alabama , None{{cite web , url=https://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ps/access/NNBBVP.pdf , title=SMOKING AND HEALTH: A National Status Report 2nd Edition – A Report to Congress , author=Louis W. Sullivan, M.D. , date=1986 , website=nlm.nih.gov , publisher=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services , access-date=October 20, 2015 {{nowrap, (–1896) , 21 (1896–1976) , colspan=3 , 19{{efn, The minimum legal age to purchase tobacco is aligned with Alabama's age of majority and was lowered from 21 to 19 in 1976. (1976–2021) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Alabama has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2021 to align federal and state law. (2021–) , - , {{flag, Alaska , ? (–1959) , 18{{efn, The smoking age in Alaska was 18 upon joining the United States in 1959.{{cite journal , last1=Apollonio , first1=Dorie E. , last2=Glantz , first2=Stanton A. , title=Minimum Ages of Legal Access for Tobacco in the United States From 1863 to 2015 , journal=American Journal of Public Health , date=July 2016 , volume=106 , issue=7 , pages=1200–1207 , doi=10.2105/AJPH.2016.303172, pmid=27196658 , pmc=4902755 (1959–?)
16{{efn, The smoking age in Alaska was 16 in 1988.{{cite web , title=Smoking and Health: A National Status Report. A Report to Congress , url=https://collections.nlm.nih.gov/ext/document/101584932X348/PDF/101584932X348.pdf , publisher=Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U.S.). Office on Smoking and Health , access-date=May 31, 2022 , date=February 1990 (?–1988) , colspan=4 , 19{{efn, The smoking age in Alaska was raised from 16 to 19 sometime between 1988–2022. Since 2019, the smoking age in Alaska has been 21 under federal law. Under current state law, it is 19. In 2022, Governor Dunleavy vetoed a bill raising the smoking age.{{cite web , last1=Enslow , first1=Patrick , title=SB45 , url=https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/32/Vetoes/SB45.pdf , website=AKLeg , access-date=September 12, 2022 , language=en (1988–) , - , ''{{flag, American Samoa'' , colspan=6, 18{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in American Samoa has been 21 under federal law. Under current territorial law, it is 18. (?–) , - , {{flag, Arizona , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=4, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Arizona was 18 in 1988. Since 2019, the smoking age in Arizona has been 21 under federal law. Under current state law, it is 18. A spokeswomen for the

attorney general of Arizona The Arizona Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Arizona, in the United States. This state officer is the head of the Arizona Department of Law, more commonly known as the Arizona Attorney General's Office. The state attorne ...

said in 2020 that their office could not enforce the federal law.{{cite news , last1=Zetino , first1=Griselda , title=No changes to Arizona tobacco buying age despite new federal rule , url=https://ktar.com/story/2911796/no-changes-to-arizona-tobacco-buying-age-despite-new-federal-rule/#:~:text=In%20Arizona%2C%20anyone%20who's%20at,old%20can%20buy%20tobacco%20products. , access-date=May 31, 2022 , work=KTAR News , date=January 9, 2020 , language=en (1988–) , - , {{flag, Arkansas , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=2, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Arkansas was 18 in 1988. (1988–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised to 21 by the

Arkansas General Assembly The General Assembly of Arkansas is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 ...

in 2019 three weeks prior to the federal Tobacco 21 law. It included a

grandfather clause A grandfather clause, also known as grandfather policy, grandfathering, or grandfathered in, is a provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases. Those exempt from t ...

that exempted adults born before December 31, 2000. After the passage of the federal Tobacco 21 law, Governor

Asa Hutchinson William Asa Hutchinson II (, '' AY-sə''; born December 3, 1950) is an American attorney, businessman, and politician who is the 46th and current governor of Arkansas. A member of the Republican Party, he was the U.S. attorney for the Fort Smit ...

announced that Arkansas would be enforcing federal law which did not include a grandfather clause. (2019–) , - , {{flag, California , 16{{efn, The smoking age in California was 16 prior to 1911. (?–1911) , colspan=3 , 18 (1911–2016) , colspan=2 , 21{{efn, The smoking age in California was raised from 18 to 21 in 2016 and it included an exemption for military personnel 18–20. (2016–) , - , {{flag, Colorado , ? (–1988) , None{{efn, Colorado temporarily repealed its MLA in the 1960s and 70s. ({{circa 1960s–70s) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Colorado was 18 in 1988. (1970s–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Colorado has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align with federal law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, Connecticut , colspan=2, None (–1902)
16{{citation needed, date=August 2022 (1902–1987) , colspan=2, 18 (1987–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised in Connecticut from 18 to 21 in 2019 two months prior to the passage of the federal Tobacco 21 law. (2019–) , - , {{flag, Delaware , ? (–1953) , colspan=2, 17{{citation needed, date=August 2022 (1953–1992) , colspan=1, 18 (1992–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised in Delaware from 18 to 21 in 2019 seven months prior to the passage of the federal Tobacco 21 law. (2019–) , - , {{flag, District of Columbia , colspan=2, 16 (?–1990) , colspan=2, 18 (1990–2016) , colspan=2, 21 (2016–) , - , {{flag, Florida , colspan=2 , ? (–1988) , colspan=3 , 18{{efn, The smoking age in Florida was 18 in 1988. (1988–2021) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Florida has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2021 to align federal and state law. (2021–) , - , {{flag, Georgia (U.S. state), name=Georgia , colspan=2, ? (–1987) , 17{{citation needed, date=August 2022 (1987–1993) , colspan=2, 18 (1993–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Georgia has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , ''{{flag, Guam'' , colspan=4, 18 (?–2018) , colspan=2, 21 (2018–) , - , {{flag, Hawaii , colspan=2, 15{{efn, The smoking age in Hawaii was 15 in 1963. (?–1988) , colspan=2, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Hawaii was 18 in 1988. (1988–2016) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age in Hawaii was raised from 18 to 21 in 2016. (2016–) , - , {{flag, Idaho , colspan=5, 18 (?–2022) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Idaho has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2022 to align federal and state law. (2022–) , - , {{flag, Illinois , colspan=4, 18 (?–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised by the

Illinois General Assembly The Illinois General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. It has two chambers, the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 181 ...

to 21 in 2019 five months prior to the federal Tobacco 21 law. (2019–) , - , {{flag, Indiana , colspan=2, ? (–1980) , colspan=3, 16{{citation needed, date=August 2022 (1980–1987)
18 (1987–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Indiana has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law.{{cite news , last1=Springgate , first1=Jack , title=Indiana officially raises age to buy tobacco products to 21 on July 1st , url=https://www.wndu.com/content/news/Indiana-officially-raises-age-to-buy-tobacco-products-to-21-on-July-1st-571533131.html#:~:text=The%20minimum%20age%20to%20buy,at%20the%20end%20of%202019. , access-date=June 1, 2022 , work=WNDU , language=en (2020–) , - , {{flag, Iowa , 16 (–1934)
21 (1934–1964) , colspan=4, 18 (1964–) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Iowa has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, Kansas , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Kansas was 18 in 1988. (1988–2023) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Kansas has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2023 to align federal and state law. (2023–) , - , {{flag, Kentucky , colspan=3, None{{citation needed, date=August 2022 (–1990)
16{{cite web , title=STATE "MINIMUM AGE" LAWS ENACTED 1989–1994 , url=https://www.industrydocuments.ucsf.edu/tobacco/docs/#id=zslh0030 , date=June 1994 , publisher=University of California, San Francisco , access-date=May 31, 2022 (1990–1992) , colspan=2, 18 (1992–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Kentucky has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, Louisiana , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, None (1988–1991)
18 (1991–2021) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Louisiana has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2021 to align federal and state law. (2021–) , - , {{flag, Maine , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=2, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Maine was 18 in 1988. (1988–2018) , colspan=2, 21 (2018–) , - , {{flag, Maryland , colspan=3, 16 (–1989) , colspan=1, 18 (1989–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised in Maryland from 18 to 21 in 2019 one month prior to the passage of the Tobacco 21 federal law. It included an exemption for military members 18–20. (2019–) , - , {{flag, Massachusetts , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=2, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Massachusetts was 18 in 1988. (1988–2018) , colspan=2, 21 (2018–) , - , {{flag, Michigan , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 17{{efn, The smoking age in Michigan was 17 in 1988. (?–1988)
18 (?–2019) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Michigan was 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law.{{cite news , last1=Springgate , first1=Jack , title=Indiana officially raises age to buy tobacco products to 21 on July 1st , url=https://www.wndu.com/content/news/Indiana-officially-raises-age-to-buy-tobacco-products-to-21-on-July-1st-571533131.html#:~:text=The%20minimum%20age%20to%20buy,at%20the%20end%20of%202019. , access-date=June 1, 2022 , work=WNDU , language=en (2020–) , - , {{flag, Minnesota , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Minnesota was 18 in 1988. (?–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Minnesota was 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, Mississippi , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Mississippi was 18 in 1988. (?–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Mississippi was 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, Missouri , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=4, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Missouri was 18 in 1988. Since 2019, the smoking age in Missouri has been 21. Under state law, it is 18. (?–) , - , {{flag, Montana , colspan=3, None (–1993) , colspan=2, 18 (1993–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Montana was 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, Nebraska , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Nebraska was 18 in 1988. (1988–2019)
19 (Jan-Sep 2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Nebraska was 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, Nevada , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Nevada was 18 in 1988. (1988–2021) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Nevada was 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2021 to align federal and state law. (2021–) , - , {{flag, New Hampshire , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Nevada was 18 in 1988. (1988–?)
19{{efn, The smoking age in New Hampshire was raised from 18 to 19 sometime between 1988–2020. (?–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in New Hampshire was 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, New Jersey , colspan=3, None (–1883)
16{{efn, The smoking age in New Jersey was 16 in 1883 and in 1988. (1883–1988) , 18{{efn, The smoking age in New Jersey was raised from 16 to 18 sometime between 1998–2006. (–2006)
19{{efn, The smoking age in New Jersey was raised from 18 to 19 in 2006. (2006–2017) , colspan=2, 21 (2017–) , - , {{flag, New Mexico , colspan=3, None (–1988) , colspan=2, 18 (?–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in New Mexico was 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, New York , colspan=2, ? (–1886)
16{{efn, The smoking age in New York was 16 in 1886. (1886–?) , colspan=2, 18{{efn, The smoking age in New York was raised from 16 to 18 sometime between 1886–1988. (1988–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised to 21 by the

New York State Legislature The New York State Legislature consists of the two houses that act as the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York: The New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly. The Constitution of New York does not designate an official ...

and signed by Governor

Andrew Cuomo Andrew Mark Cuomo ( ; ; born December 6, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he was elected to the same position that his father, Mario Cuo ...

in 2019 five months prior to the federal Tobacco 21 law. The governor stated: "By raising the smoking age from 18 to 21, we can stop cigarettes and e-cigarettes from getting into the hands of young people in the first place and prevent an entire generation of New Yorkers from forming costly and potentially deadly addictions," (2019–) , - , {{flag, North Carolina , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=4, 18{{efn, The smoking age in North Carolina was 18 in 1988. Since 2019, the smoking age in North Carolina has been 21 under federal law. Under current state law, it is 18. In 2020, some tobacco shops started to comply with federal law while others only complied with state law. An officer with the North Carolina Department of Public Safety described the conflicting laws: “We’re in limbo trying to figure out what we can and cannot do,” (1988–) , - , {{flag, North Dakota , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in North Dakota was 18 in 1988. (1988–2021) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in North Dakota has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2021 to align federal and state law. (2021–) , - , ''{{flag, Northern Mariana Islands'' , colspan=6, 18{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in the Northern Mariana Islands has been 21 under federal law. Under current territorial law, it is 18. (?–) , - , {{flag, Ohio , colspan=4, ? (–1939)
18{{efn, The smoking age in Ohio was 18 in 1939. (1939–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised to 21 by the

Ohio General Assembly The Ohio General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio. It consists of the 99-member Ohio House of Representatives and the 33-member Ohio Senate. Both houses of the General Assembly meet at the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus ...

in 2019 five months prior to the federal Tobacco 21 law. (2019–) , - , {{flag, Oklahoma , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Oklahoma was 18 in 1988. (1988–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Oklahoma has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, Oregon , colspan=4, None{{efn, Oregon temporarily repealed its ban on selling tobacco to minors in 1955. (1955–1988)
18{{efn, The smoking age in Oregon was 18 in 1988. (1988–2018) , colspan=2, 21 (2018–) , - , {{flag, Pennsylvania , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=3, 16{{efn, The smoking age in Pennsylvania was 16 in 1988. (1988–?)
18{{efn, The smoking age in Pennsylvania was raised from 16 to 18 sometime between 1988–2020. (?–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Pennsylvania has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. State law included an exemption for military personnel 18–20. (2020–) , - , ''{{flag, Puerto Rico'' , colspan=6, 18{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in the Puerto Rico has been 21 under federal law. Under current territorial law, it is 18.{{citation needed, date=August 2022 (?–) , - , {{flag, Rhode Island , colspan=2, None (–1939)
16{{efn, The smoking age in Rhode Island was 16 in 1939. (1939–?) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Rhode Island was 18 in 1988. (1988–2021) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Rhode Island has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2021 to align federal and state law. (2021–) , - , {{flag, South Carolina , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=4, 18{{efn, The smoking age in South Carolina was 18 in 1988. Since 2019, the smoking age in South Carolina has been 21 under federal law. Under current state law, it is 18. (1988–) , - , {{flag, South Dakota , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=4, 18{{efn, The smoking age in South Dakota was 18 in 1988. Since 2019, the smoking age in South Dakota has been 21 under federal law. Under current state law, it is 18. (1988–) , - , {{flag, Tennessee , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age in Tennessee was 21 before the 1970s. There were efforts to lower it to 18/19 in the 1960s. (?–1970s) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Tennessee was 18 in 1988. (1988–2021) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Tennessee has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2021 to align federal and state law. (2021–) , - , {{flag, Texas , colspan=3, 16{{efn, The smoking age in Texas was 16 in 1988. (–1989) , colspan=1, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Texas was raised from 16 to 18 in 1989. (1989–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised to 21 by the

Texas Legislature The Texas Legislature is the state legislature of the US state of Texas. It is a bicameral body composed of a 31-member Senate and a 150-member House of Representatives. The state legislature meets at the Capitol in Austin. It is a powerful ...

four months prior to the federal Tobacco 21 law. State law included a

that exempted adults born before August 31, 2001, and an exemption for military personnel 18–20. (2019–) , - , ''{{flag, United States Virgin Islands'' , colspan=6, 18{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in the Puerto Rico has been 21 under federal law. Under current territorial law, it is 18.{{citation needed, date=August 2022 (?–) , - , {{flag, Utah , colspan=1, 21{{efn, The smoking age in Utah prior to 1953 was 21. (?–1953) , colspan=3, 19{{efn, The smoking age in Utah was lowered from 21 to 19 in 1953. (1953–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised to 21 by the

Utah State Legislature The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 state representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 state senators. There are no term li ...

ten months prior to the federal Tobacco 21 law. State law included an exemption for military personnel and their spouses and dependents 19–20. (2019–) , - , {{flag, Vermont , colspan=3, ? (–1988)
17{{efn, The smoking age in Vermont was 17 in 1988. (1988–?) , colspan=1, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Vermont was raised from 17 to 18 sometime between 1988–2019. (?–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised to 21 by the

Vermont General Assembly The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the state of Vermont, in the United States. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself. The G ...

three months prior to the federal Tobacco 21 law. (2019–) , - , {{flag, Virginia , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=2, 16{{efn, The smoking age was 16 in 1988. (1988–?)
18{{efn, The smoking age in Vermont was raised from 16 to 18 sometime between 1988–2019. (?–2019) , colspan=2, 21{{efn, The smoking age was raised to 21 by the

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, the first elected legislative assembly in the New World, and was established on July 30, 161 ...

five months prior to the federal Tobacco 21 law. (2019–) , - , {{flag, Washington (state), name=Washington , colspan=2, 18{{efn, The first law prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors was in 1901. (1901–1909)
21{{efn, The smoking age in Washington was increased to 21 in 1909 and remained until 1971. (1909–1971) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Washington was lowered to 18 in 1971. (1971–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Washington has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law. (2020–) , - , {{flag, West Virginia , colspan=2, ? (–1988) , colspan=4, 18{{efn, The smoking age in West Virginia was 18 in 1988. Since 2019, the smoking age in West Virginia has been 21 under federal law. Under current state law, it is 18. (1988–) , - , {{flag, Wisconsin , colspan=3, None (–1988) , colspan=3, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Wisconsin was raised to 18 sometime between 1988–2022. Since 2019, the smoking age in Wisconsin has been 21 under federal law. Under current state law, it is 18. In 2022, a bill to amend state law to raise the smoking age to 21 passed in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

and is pending in the state senate. (?–) , - , {{flag, Wyoming , colspan=3, None (–1988) , colspan=2, 18{{efn, The smoking age in Wyoming was raised to 18 sometime between 1988–2020. (?–2020) , 21{{efn, Since 2019, the smoking age in Wisconsin has been 21 under federal law. State law raised the smoking age to 21 in 2020 to align federal and state law.{{cite news , title=Wyoming's Smoking Age To Rise To 21 , url=https://cowboystatedaily.com/2020/03/16/wyomings-smoking-age-to-rise-to-21/ , work=Cowboy State Daily , date=March 16, 2020 (2020–) , -

Notes

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References

{{reflist {{Law country lists Smoking in the United States Juvenile law United States law-related lists Tobacco U.S. minimum purchase age by state Drug control law in the United States History of drug control in the United States