On Thursday, August 29, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States announced a final rule that raised the minimum age for certain tobacco product sales restrictions, as part of ongoing efforts by the federal government to protect youth from the harms of tobacco products.
Starting from September 30, the new regulation mandates that the minimum age for verification with photo ID be raised from under 27 to under 30.
Additionally, retailers are now prohibited from using vending machines to sell tobacco products in places accessible to individuals under 21, whereas the previous age limit was 18.
The United States has intensified efforts in recent years to combat tobacco use in order to curb preventable deaths caused by smoking and other tobacco products, and to prevent underage individuals from using e-cigarettes.
Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, stated in a release, “Decades of scientific research show that keeping young people away from tobacco products is crucial in reducing the number of individuals who ultimately become addicted to tobacco and suffer from tobacco-related diseases and deaths.”
The statement noted that over 95% of daily smokers in the United States have their first cigarette before turning 21. The federal minimum age for tobacco purchases was 18 until it was raised to 21 in 2019.
According to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, approximately 250 children start smoking every day.
To date, the FDA has conducted over 1.5 million compliance checks on tobacco retailers, issued 134,000 warning letters, imposed civil fines for over 33,000 violations of federal age restrictions, and issued 230 no-tobacco-sale orders to ensure compliance with federal age restriction regulations.
Public health advocates have long urged retailers to stop selling tobacco products, and some cities and states have banned the sale of tobacco in pharmacies.
Recently, the supermarket chain Stop & Shop announced that it will cease selling all cigarettes and tobacco products on Saturday, August 31. The chain, with about 360 stores mainly in the northeastern United States, stated that these changes are part of its “commitment to community health.”
CNN reported on Thursday that one of the restrictions the FDA has yet to implement is banning flavored cigars, including menthol. Flavors like menthol are believed to have a strong appeal to children who are starting to use tobacco products.
The report mentioned that the FDA has been considering restrictions on menthol and other flavored cigars for over a decade, but due to strong lobbying efforts by tobacco companies, these restrictions are still pending White House approval.