San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors has voted to raise the minimum age to buy tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, from 18 to 21. The vote comes after New York City, Boston, and Hawaii passed similar laws. The Board of Supervisors vote was unanimous, and the law is expected to go into effect in June. In Ontario the minimum age to buy tobacco is 19. San Francisco will be three years more stringent than the state of California where 18 remains the legal age. The effectiveness of such limits is unknown but it certainly seems likely to slow down the smoking habit which is often formed before the age of 19. It is impossible to stop some kids from smoking but this law makes it more difficult for them to begin.
