Beginning on June 1st of this year, the minimum age for tobacco purchases in San Francisco will be raised to 21 years old. This is in contrast to the majority of the country, which has an age limit of 18 years old.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors just recently unanimously approved the new measure. More than 100 other cities in the United States have raised the minimum age, including New York City and Boston. Earlier this year, Hawaii became the first state to raise the minimum age to 21 years old.
Supporters of the change point out that teenagers between 15 and 17 years old are more vulnerable to addiction than any other age group, and an alarming number of teenagers are exposed to secondhand smoke. The new minimum age also prevents high school students from purchasing tobacco, because many students turn 18 years old before they have graduated. In many cases, students who are 18 years old distribute tobacco to other students in the school after being able to purchase it.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended a minimum age of 21 years or older for tobacco purchases nationwide in order to prevent premature deaths and deaths from lung cancer.