On Tuesday, City Councilman Jesse Arreguin proposed raising the age for buying e-cigarettes along with regular cigarettes to 21, putting both products on a par with alcohol. Arreguin is concerned about the rapid rise of e-cigarette use among young people, which he fears may act as a gateway to tobacco.
The current age for legal purchase of tobacco products in California is 18. If the city council passes the measure it would join just three governing bodies in the country that have decided to raise the age for tobacco purchases to 21 — Healdsburg, New York City and Hawaii.
Arreguin’s proposal comes hot on the heels of a report claiming there is no link between soaring e-cigarette use and young people taking up smoking. “Electronic cigarettes are not linked with any rise in young people smoking. Although more young people are trying electronic cigarettes and many more young people are aware of them, this has not led to widespread regular use or an increase in smoking,” said Hazel Cheeseman, Director of Policy at Action on Smoking and Health.