Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed Senate Bill 21, which will increase the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in the state to 21.
The law will go into effect September 1 and covers all tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Anyone caught breaking the law will face a Class C misdemeanor and a fine of up to $500.
Texas is the 15th state, plus the District of Columbia, to enact an over-21 tobacco law, joining Arkansas, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington.
It’s also the the third state to include a military exemption. The bill previously only included members of the military on active duty, but it was broadened to allow all people 18 and over with military IDs to purchase tobacco products.
Source: tobacco21.org
