A new Ohio law called Tobacco 21 will be in effect starting tomorrow and will make it illegal to purchase tobacco or vaping related products under the age of 21, in order to reduce youth adoption rates of middle and high school children.
The new restriction will apply to anyone who hasn’t turned 18 by Oct. 1, 2019 – allowing those who are already between 18 and 21 to continue purchasing tobacco and vaping products.
Ohio will join several other states, including Illinois, New York, California, and Connecticut, that adopted a statewide Tobacco 21 purchase age.
A clerk who sells tobacco and alternative nicotine products to a person under 21 and the owner of the retail establishment may face criminal penalties that increase after the first violation under Ohio’s “Tobacco 21” law.
For a first offense, a misdemeanor of the fourth degree, a clerk is subject to no more than 30 days in jail and a fine up to $250, and the retail establishment is subject to a fine of $2,000.
