Ohioans Under 21 Can No Longer Buy Smoking Products Starting Thursday

On Thursday, Ohio’s minimum age to buy tobacco products will increase from 18 to 21.

Ohio Director of Health Amy Acton says smoking among young people has been decreasing nationally. But the law will also include nicotine products like e-cigarettes, which have become popular among high school students and young adults.

“Vaping increased 78 percent in high schoolers in just one year, 48 percent in middle schoolers, and we now know that that was very intentional marketing, intentional targeting of the next generation for addiction,” Acton said.

Ohio will now be one of 18 states that has raised the minimum age to buy tobacco products. Acton says although there were some areas of the state that had raised the minimum age to buy these products, the new law will now help more Ohioans to not start smoking.

“If we can delay the age of onset when people start smoking, they’re most likely not going to become addicted,” Acton said. “In fact, 95 percent of smokers began before the age of 21. So that 18 to 21 age range is really critically important.”

National statistics show Ohio has one of the highest rates of adult smokers at about 21 percent.