OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – Lawmakers in the state House passed a bill raising the smoking and vaping age to 21.
The chamber passed the measure on a 66-30 vote, and the measure now heads to the House for consideration.
The bill would raise the legal age for both tobacco products and so-called “vape” products, including e-cigarettes and other vapor devices, whether they include tobacco or not.
The sponsor called the bill a step toward eliminating youth smoking, but at least one national anti-tobacco group has criticized the bill for not doing enough to promote enforcement of the new rule
The measure broadly mirrors versions introduced in 2016, 2017, and 2018. None cleared both chambers of the state legislature, although the 2018 effort made it further than the previous two after Democrats took regained control of the Senate.
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