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If You're Under 21, It's Likely You Soon Won't Be Able To Buy Cigarettes In Mass.

The Massaschusetts State House (Emmanuel Huybrechts/Flickr)
The Massaschusetts State House (Emmanuel Huybrechts/Flickr)

The Massachusetts House and Senate have reached a compromise on a bill raising the age to 21 statewide that people can legally buy tobacco products.

If Gov. Charlie Baker signs it into law, the new age limit would take effect on Dec. 31. The bill may be sent to the governor's desk within days.

The bill (H 4486) would create a uniform rule replacing a patchwork of local regulations covering sales of cigarettes, chewing tobacco and cigars. Many cities and towns have already raised the age for buying tobacco products within their own borders above the statewide minimum of 18.

In addition to increasing the age limit and restricting tobacco sales from pharmacies, the bill also bans the use of e-cigarettes or vapes anywhere that smoking is banned. The bill would also create penalties of $250 to $1,000 for anyone who sells nicotine vape juice that is not in a child-resistant container.

Teens who turn 18 before the end of this year would essentially be grandfathered into the old system, and would be subject to the soon-to-be-phased-out statewide tobacco-buying age limit of 18, although higher local limits could still apply to them.

The bill would nullify any future attempts at the local level to raise the tobacco-buying age any higher. That was a provision sought by the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.

Sen. Jason Lewis, a Winchester Democrat and Senate chairman of the Public Health Committee, said the bill would save lives and prevent young people from buying products that could lead to a lifelong addiction to nicotine.

The House and Senate chose an informal approach to reconcile differences between bills the two branches passed earlier this year. Both branches have agreed to the language, but they would need to take additional votes to send it to Baker. The House voted 146-3 and the Senate voted 32-3 on the final legislation.

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