Hawaii is the first state in the US to raise its smoking age to 21, a measure that was signed into law on Friday and will become effective January 1st. The law bans the sale of cigarettes and e-cigarettes to anyone under 21; it also bans their public possession and consumption until that age.
The law was passed amid growing concerns about the prevalence of e-cigarettes, the use of which is on the rise among teens. In its legislation, Hawaii notes that a poll of six of its high schools found that 25 percent of 9th and 10th grade students had used an electronic smoking device at least once and 18 percent used one regularly...
The state says that 34 percent of its current smokers picked up the habit between the ages of 18 and 20...
