California raises legal age to buy tobacco to 21

Supporters of the law aim to deter adolescents from nicotine addiction

Californian governor Jerry Brown has approved raising the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21. (PA)

The governor of California has approved raising the legal age to buy tobacco from 18 to 21.

Democratic governor Jerry Brown signed a series of measures on Wednesday which also place new restrictions on where people can smoke and the sale of electronic cigarettes.

Republican lawmakers and Veteran organisations in California objected to the bill, arguing people old enough to die for their country are old enough to use tobacco.

A stipulation was later added to exempt active duty military personnel who are 18 and over.

Senator Ed Hernandez, who authored the bill, said: These [laws] will save countless lives, reduce astronomical costs to the health care system, and cost very little because it uses existing enforcement mechanisms”.

"Today was an enormous victory for not only this generation, but also for many generations to come who will not suffer the deadly impacts of tobacco."

Supporters of the law aimed to deter adolescents from the harmful effects of nicotine addiction.

The American Heart Association, the American Lung Association and the president of the California Medical Association all expressed support for the new law.

The Institute of Medicine reports that 90 per cent of daily smokers began using tobacco before turning 19.

A study from the Institute of Medicine in March 2015 estimated increasing the smoking age to 21 would result in 250,000 fewer premature deaths and 50,000 fewer deaths from lunc cancer among people born between 2000 and 2019.

In April, Hawaii became the first state in the nation to raise the legal smoking age to 21. More than 100 local jurisdictions around the country have made the change, including New York, Chicago and San Francisco.