A Delaware law increasing the tobacco age restriction from 18 to 21 took effect Tuesday, making Delaware the ninth state to raise the age restriction to 21 since 2015. Gov. John Carney (D) signed the increase into law on April 17 after it passed the state House by a 25-16 vote and the state Senate by a 14-6 vote.

 

Also Tuesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) signed a bill to raise New York’s tobacco age restriction from 18 to 21. The bill, which passed the state Assembly by a 120-26 vote and the state Senate by a 52-9 vote, is set to take effect November 13, 120 days after its signing.

 

Since June 2015, when Hawaii became the first state in the 21st century to raise its tobacco age restriction to 21, such laws have taken effect in eight other states, including Delaware. Three states have a tobacco age restriction of 19 and the remaining 38 states have a tobacco age restriction of 18. There are eight states, including New York, with a tobacco age increase to 21 set to take effect.