On January 1, Hawaii will become the first state to raise the minimun smoking age to 21. Anyone under the age of 21 caught smoking wil receive a $10 fine for the first offense and $50 for subsequent offenses. This law is in effect for electronic cigarettes as well.
Hawaii’s State Department of Health will start a three month campaign to let the public know about the new law, which was signed in June by Governor David Ige. Businesses that are caught selling tobacco products to people under the age of 21 will be fined $500 for their first violation and up to $2,000 for each time after that.
The law to raise the minimum smoking age was in part inspired by the rising use of electronic cigarettes by young people. Officials said a University of Hawaii study by the Cancer Center that found e-cigarettes were used by teens three times the national average.
