Monday 12 April 2021

Tobacco 21 - More evidence on the benefits of a higher minimum legal age

Raising the minimum sale age for tobacco to 21 has emerged as a highly recommended measure for tobacco control systems. More than a year has passed since this measure was in place across the United States (and also in Prince Edward Island) 

This blog reviews the history of Tobacco 21 measures and the research that has been conducted on the effectiveness of this measure at reducing tobacco or e-cigarette use by young people. (A downloadable version is available here.) 

Tobacco 21 laws help protect young people from nicotine addiction

Almost all people who use tobacco products start doing so as teenagers or as young adults. (A recent study by Statistics Canada found "for both men and women, the age at which they started smoking remained virtually unchanged over the past 80 years", with the "the peak age of initiation was 15 to 17 for women and 16 for men".

Measures which help protect youth and young adults from experimenting with and becoming addicted to tobacco will have long-term benefits for those individuals and for the community. 

Laws which set the minimum legal age for the sale of cigarettes at 21 help protect young people by raising barriers to their accessing tobacco:

  • They establish a new social and legal norm
  • They reduce the ability of younger teenagers to buy from their peer-group, creating a longer age buffer between those who are legally able to purchase and high-school students. 
  • They support policy change by post-secondary education institutions and employers. 

Even those for whom Tobacco 21 laws will only defer the age of initiation can benefit:

  • Those who start smoking at a younger age are more likely to find it difficult to quit.
  • Nicotine use is harmful to the developing brains of young people.

Tobacco 21 laws are emerging as a new global standard

At least 8 countries have set the minimum sale age for tobacco products at 21. The United States changed its Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act to raise the age from 18 to 21 on December 20, 2019. Prior to that date, half the U.S. population lived in the 19 states and 540 cities that had raised the minimum legal age for tobacco purchase to 21. 

Other recent changes took place in the Philippines (early 2020) and Singapore (January 2021). The law was already in palce in Ethiopia (2019), Uganda (2016), Mongolia (2013), Honduras (2010), and Sri Lanka (2006). Countries which have set the age at 20 include Thailand (2017) and Japan (2001).


Canadians and their health leaders support raising the legal minimum age to 21.

Surveys have consistently shown a high level of support for this higher age limit:

Raising the minimum legal age for tobacco and vaping products to 21 is supported by all of the health charities (including the Canadian Cancer Society, the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Lung Association) and also by nation's chief medical officers of health. 

Evidence on the benefits of Tobacco 21 laws is growing

Before the United States adopted the measure at a national level, U.S. researchers were able to compare the impact of this measure in the states and municipalities which had adopted it with comparable jurisdictions which had not. 

Recently-published research has shown:


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