According to Gizmodo, earlier this week, Congress passed a bill to raise the smoking age to 21. The law will include all Tabacco products, meaning both traditional cigarettes and electronic cigarettes will be restricted to those over 21-years-old.
The decision was made in hopes to combat the rise of smoking among teens in the US. The 2019 National Youth Tobacco Survey concluded that 5 million teens are using electronic cigarettes, 1 million of whom do so daily.
Senator Tim Kaine applauded the move in a statement saying, “Passage of this lifesaving legislation is an enormous victory for the health of our young people. By raising the age to buy tobacco products nationwide, we can save 223,000 lives and reduce youth tobacco use. I’m grateful for the work of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and all the Virginians who made their voices heard to join us in this critical effort to improve public health. This is one of many steps we should take to tackle the youth e-cigarette epidemic that touches every corner of our nation.”
Kaine helped introduce to the bill alongside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
President Donald Trump is expected to sign the bill into law, according to The New York Times.