smoking age

Federal law already raised the legal smoking age from 18 to 21, so House and Senate lawmakers this session haggled over issues like how much to penalize retailers.

House and Senate lawmakers have reached consensus on what the final version of the bill to increase the smoking age will look like.

More than 100 advocates gathered in support of stricter tobacco laws at the Statehouse Tuesday.

The Indiana House easily approved legislation Tuesday raising the legal age to smoke and vape to 21.

A Senate committee Wednesday passed its own version of a bill to raise the legal smoking and vaping age from 18 to 21.

The federal government recently raised the smoking age to 21 to help curb teen vaping. Some are applauding the decision as a win for public health. Others worry it was a knee-jerk reaction.

Just a few weeks ago, some Midwest state legislatures were aiming to raise the legal age for smoking. But Congress moved first, setting a new national age limit of 21.

The bill imposes penalties on retailers who sell smoking or vaping products to anyone under 21. But it eliminates existing fines for anyone underage from possessing those products.

Holcomb says the sharp spike in vaping among young people helped convince him to push for raising the minimum age to buy tobacco and vaping products from 18 to 21.

Health groups and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce have long pushed to raise the smoking and vaping age. But it hasnt gotten far in the legislature.