Kansas moving to raise age for buying tobacco to 21 from 18

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas is shifting to extend its authorized age for getting cigarettes, digital cigarettes and different tobacco merchandise to 21 from 18 after the federal authorities and most different states have already got performed it.

The state Senate authorized a invoice to lift the age Tuesday on a 28-11 vote, sending it Gov. Laura Kelly. The Home had authorized it earlier this month on a 68-53 vote.

Kelly has not stated whether or not she’s going to signal the invoice, however officers with the state Division of Income and the Division for Growing older and Incapacity Providers supported the measure.

Public well being officers consider elevating the age to buy tobacco merchandise will scale back their use and the ensuing well being care prices.

The U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention says tobacco use is the main reason behind preventable demise, illness and incapacity within the U.S. and 9 out of 10 adults who smoke began by age 18.

Forty-one different states have elevated their authorized age to 21, together with the tobacco-producing states of Kentucky and Virginia.

The federal authorities raised its age to 21 in 2019 and informed states they’d need to implement the upper age to obtain federal funds for substance abuse packages.

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