An Indiana legislative panel is recommending that Indiana's legal age for buying cigarettes be raised from 18 to 21.

Indiana has one of the highest smoking rates in the country and young Hoosiers are vaping at increasing rates.

The coalition will also push - as it has in the past - to increase the legal smoking age from 18 to 21.

Speaker Bosma announced the bill needed to go through House Ways and Means - and because Tuesday was a committee deadline, the bill can't advance this session.

Hoosiers age 18 to 20 would no longer be able to buy cigarettes under legislation unanimously approved by the House Public Health Committee Monday.

The bill would increase the age for buying cigarettes to 21 and add a $1.50 tax per pack of cigarettes.

Republican Rep. Cindy Kirchhofer of Beech Grove says the bill will help address the state's high smoking rates and improve Indiana's overall health.

Chicago raised it's minimum smoking age to 21. It's 18 in Indiana.