VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – A bipartisan bill was introduced Thursday by a coalition of General Assembly leaders.
Their goal is to raise the minimum age required to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21.
This legislation would apply to vapor-based and tradition tobacco products.
Virginia Beach Delegate Christopher Stolle is one of the lawmakers supporting this bill.
“Raising the legal age for tobacco purchases to 21 is a common sense way to address this escalating public health concern,” noted Delegate Christopher P. Stolle, M.D. (R-Virginia Beach), who is sponsoring House Bill 2748. “The rapid growth of the number of teenagers vaping, at a time when the use of traditional tobacco is at an all-time low, should set off alarms for every parent. This legislation will help to reverse that trend.”
He told News 3 another concern is the fact that many 18-year-olds are still in high school, giving them the opportunity to purchase tobacco products for their underage friends.
The bill will be voted on in the coming weeks.
Weigh in below and let us know if you think the age should be raised or not.
You can take a look at the proposed legislation here.
