- With the health regulator raising the age verification limit by three years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated people under 30 must produce photo identification to buy tobacco products
- The FDA also said retailers cannot sell tobacco products via vending machines where individuals under 21 are present or permitted to enter from 18 years previously
- The United States has been cracking down on tobacco use over the past few years to curb smoking deaths and stop the use of e-cigarettes by minors
WASHINGTON, D.C.: With the health regulator raising the age verification limit by three years, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated people under 30 must produce photo identification to buy tobacco products.
The FDA also said retailers cannot sell tobacco products via vending machines where individuals under 21 are present or permitted to enter from 18 years previously.
The United States has been cracking down on tobacco use over the past few years to curb smoking deaths and stop the use of e-cigarettes by minors.
“Decades of science have shown that keeping tobacco products away from youth is critical to reducing the number of people who ultimately become addicted to these products,” said Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products.
The World Health Organization had said in May that tobacco companies were trying to hook a new generation on nicotine by actively targeting them via social media, sports and music festivals.
The FDA had raised the minimum age for tobacco use to 21 years from 18 in 2019.
According to the American Lung Association, smoking kills more than 480,000 people per year in the United States, making it the leading preventable cause of death in the country.
