Amends existing law to change the legal age of tobacco possession from 18 to 21.

This legislation states that Tobacco use is a known health hazard and this proposal would raise the age for purchasing tobacco products and electronic cigarettes from 18 to 21. By raising the age at which tobacco products can be purchased, it may be possible to alleviate some of the negative health effects including the burden the Health Care System has with treating people afflicted with preventable diseases such as lung cancer, emphysema, and other smoking-related illnesses of tobacco usage. Smoking is one of the most difficult habits to break, and perhaps increasing the age at which cigarettes can be purchased will result in fewer young people staring to smoke and having trouble stopping later. Youth smokers identify friends and classmates as a common source of cigarettes. With more 18-19 year old in high school, youth have daily contactwithstudentswhocanlegallybuytobaccoforthem. Settingtheminimumlegalsaleageat21instead of 18 would help keep tobacco out of schools because legal purchasers would be less likely to be in the same social networks as high school students and therefore less able to sell or give cigarettes to them.