Starting today, you must be 21 to buy smokes or vape devices

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, January 1, 2020

EVERETT — Happy new year to one rite of passage into adulthood.

At the legal age of 18, teens can vote, marry, buy lottery tickets, get tattoos and go to war.

But they can no longer smoke or vape.

A new Washington law raises the legal age from 18 to 21 to buy cigarettes and vape devices on Jan. 1.

House Bill 1074 made it illegal to sell tobacco and vapor products to anyone under 21. The bill passed last spring in the state Senate on a 33-12 vote after the House approved it 66-30.

The age increase is part of a trend passed by about 20 states. In December, Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed a provision raising the age to 21 for the sale of tobacco and vaping products nationwide.

The Forest Park Chevron station at Rucker Avenue and 41st Street started enforcing the new law over a week ago.

“There’s a couple of regulars who aren’t too happy about it,” said Chris Gholson, Chevron assistant manager.

Across the street at Safeway, sales of cigarettes to those at least 18 continued until Jan. 1, but on Tuesday afternoon young smokers weren’t lining up to stock up.

Jennifer Reid, healthy communities specialist at the Snohomish Health District, said the new law is a critical step in improving health outcomes for youth and young adults.

“We know that most smokers first started before the age of 18,” Reid said in an email. “We also know that most young people get tobacco and vapor products from their 18- to 20-year-old siblings, fellow students, co-workers and other peers. By raising the age for legal purchase to 21, we’ll help prevent the next generation from becoming addicted to nicotine.”

Sure, some teens will still find a way to get around it, but it might be more difficult.

The new law includes smokeless tobacco, cigars and roll-your-own hookah. It doesn’t apply on tribal lands.

In October, the state issued a temporary ban on flavored vaping products.

“That was the big one,” Gholson said. “That’s the one we lost more sales on. We had a bunch of flavors. The 21-and-older thing is not as big of a deal.”

A sign posted on the door warned that a photo ID was required for purchase.

“It’s a big fat fine if you get caught, so we card everybody,” Gholson said.

A 2018 Healthy Youth Survey found fewer Snohomish County middle and high school students were smoking cigarettes, but their use of vapor products increased. Based on survey responses, about half of high school seniors responding had tried an e-cigarette or vape pen. About 30 percent said they vaped. The survey found one in 10 eighth-grade students vaped and one in five tried vaping.

The state health department website has a free app and other resources to help people quit.

Andrea Brown: abrown@heraldnet.com; 425-339-3443. Twitter @reporterbrown.