As Another State Raises Smoking Age to 21, a Similar Bill Still Sits in Springfield

It turns out Illinois isn’t the only state looking to stop tobacco use by those 21 and under. Earlier today, California lawmakers passed a bill increasing the smoking age in that state to 21.

The Illinois bill was introduced in February by a group of Democratic state lawmakers. If passed, it wouldn’t just change the rules for cigarettes. It also raises the age to buy so-called “e-cigarettes” to 21.

This regulation comes because, according to the Illinois Coalition Against Tobacco, the “vast majority of smokers” start before turning 21. The bill has not yet been voted on in either house.

If California’s governor signs their bill into law, they will join Hawaii as the only states where you have to be 21 or older to smoke.