New Jersey Considers Raising Smoking Age
person smoking
Legal teenage smoking may become a thing of the past in New Jersey. This week, the State Legislature passed a bill raising the smoking age limit.
The move has been spurred by a 2015 study that said raising the smoking age would result in almost 250 thousand fewer premature deaths in the US. Under the legislation, retailers of cigarettes and tobacco products including electronic cigarettes could be fined up to one thousand dollars for selling to those 20 and under. Dr. Rob Crane is with the Preventing Tobacco Addiction Foundation. He said the goal of the higher age limit is to "reduce smoking principally among high school kids, those kids who are starting to smoke. We have good data showing that raising the age to 21 for the sale of all tobacco products reduces high school smoking by about half."
Governor Christie has until the 19th to sign the bill. His office told WFUV they do not comment on pending legislation.
