It seems that lawmakers in North Carolina have a new bill stirring in their state legislation. This bill, House Bill 435, would raise the state age for smoking and vaping age from 18 to 21. This, however, would not go into effect until January of 2021.

HB 435

Greensboro News and Record reported on this new bill which could potentially raise the smoking and vaping age. If it passes, one under the age of 21 would be able to buy tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, mods e-juice , etc.). This bill also lays out the fines that wholesalers and retailers could face if caught selling to anyone under 21. Not only the sellers, but the potential buyers under the age of 21, will also be punished if caught trying to buy these products.

Sponsors and Support

HB 435 has already passed its first reading in the NC General Assembly. It has since been referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House for a scheduled debate. Currently, this bill has 4 republican sponsors (no surprise there), and four other representatives have added support since this bill was filed in March.

Other States Have Already Done This

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT: Mastering Vaping: Knowing Your Device

My Thoughts

Personally, I think this could be a great switch for the vaping industry. The fact is that the government agencies, such as the FDA, are currently targeting the vaping industry for “marketing to kids and teens”. If the age was raised to 21, this claim could no longer be true. We all see the beer, wine, and liquor marketing on television, hear it on the radio, etc. and no claims have been made recently about those companies marketing to teens or kids. If this passes and the age is raised to 21, I truly believe this could help save the vaping industry.

With North Carolina’s deep rooted tobacco friendly heritage, the bill has surprised many smokers and vapers in the state. But really, this should come as no surprise to anyone else. So far, California and Hawaii have raised the smoking and vaping age to 21, and four other states have raised the age to 19. 24 other states, including NC, have introduced legislation that would raise the age to 21. While 5 of these states have failed to pass this legislation, there are still 19 other states trying to do this.