New US FDA regulations: Age limit for tobacco sales is 21, and people under 30 need to show ID

New US FDA regulations: Age limit for tobacco sales is 21, and people under 30 need to show ID

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new rule that raises the minimum age limit for tobacco product sales. Starting September 30, people under 30 will be required to show a photo ID when purchasing tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Retailers may not sell tobacco products through vending machines in locations that allow people under 21 years old, a ban that previously applied to locations that allowed people under 18 years old.

On August 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a new rule that raises the minimum age limit for tobacco product sales. Starting September 30, people under 30 will be required to show a photo ID when purchasing tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, a requirement that previously applied to people under 27 years old. Also starting September 30, retailers may not sell tobacco products through vending machines in locations that allow people under 21 years old, a ban that previously applied to locations that allowed people under 18 years old.

The changes to this final rule are intended to maximize the public health impact of the December 2019 legislation.

It is reported that legislation signed in December 2019 raised the minimum age for federal tobacco product sales in the United States from 18 to 21. Once implemented, this rule is expected to help reduce underage tobacco sales.

Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H., Director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products, said:

"Today's rule is a key step in protecting our nation's youth from the health risks of tobacco products. Decades of scientific research shows that preventing youth from accessing tobacco products is critical to reducing the number of people who eventually become addicted and suffer from tobacco-related diseases and deaths."

The FDA said that this action is part of the federal government's continued efforts to protect youth from access to tobacco products. More than 95% of daily smoking adults in the United States smoked their first cigarette before the age of 21. As a result, the FDA continues to actively enforce the minimum age limit for federal tobacco product sales, including after raising the minimum age to 21. To date, the FDA has conducted more than 1.5 million compliance inspections on tobacco retailers to ensure compliance with federal age limits. These inspections resulted in 134,000 warning letters, more than 33,000 civil penalties, and 230 cease-and-desist orders.

The FDA said it also continues to provide resources to retailers to improve compliance with tobacco laws and regulations, including age restrictions on sales. For example, the FDA has developed a voluntary educational program, This is Our Watch, that provides free resources to help retailers calculate customer ages, including a digital age verification calendar and an age calculator app. Retailers can also find information on tobacco products legally sold in the United States through a searchable tobacco product database.