The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced a new rule that will tighten age verification requirements for tobacco product sales, starting September 30.
Anyone Under 30
This update follows the December 2019 legislation that increased the federal minimum age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21.
Under the new rule, retailers will be required to verify the age of anyone under 30 who attempts to buy tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. Previously, the age verification requirement applied to those under 27.
The FDA's decision is aimed at reducing underage tobacco sales by addressing the challenge retailers face in accurately assessing a customer’s age based on appearance alone.
Additionally, the new rule prohibits the sale of tobacco products via vending machines in facilities where individuals under 21 are allowed. This restriction expands upon a previous rule that applied to locations with individuals under 18.
These measures are intended to enhance the impact of the 2019 legislation, which aimed to curb youth access to tobacco.
Critical to Reduce Number of Addicts
Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H., director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, emphasized the importance of these updates, stating:
“Decades of science have shown that keeping tobacco products away from youth is critical to reducing the number of people who ultimately become addicted to these products and suffer from tobacco-related disease and death.”
The FDA's ongoing efforts to enforce tobacco regulations have included over 1.5 million compliance checks of tobacco retailers, resulting in numerous warning letters, civil money penalties, and no-tobacco-sale orders for violations.
The agency also supports retailers through resources like the "This is Our Watch" education program, which offers tools for accurate age verification.
