Vermont legislators are considering a bill that could raise the legal age for using tobacco to 21.
The Vermont Senate will take a vote to pass the measure Tuesday after receiving unanimous approval by the Senate Committee on Health and Welfare. The bill would cover all tobacco products, not just cigarettes.
A higher legal age for tobacco use reduces deaths from tobacco-related causes by 10 percent according to a 2015 study that lawmakers used to provide rationale for the higher limit. A companion bill in the House has been in the Committee on Human Services since January.
Vermont would join Hawaii and California, and over 200 cities and towns that have raised the legal tobacco age to 21 according to a tally from the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
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