New Hampshire has joined the Tobacco 21 movement, as Gov. Chris Sununu signed HB 1245 into law, an omnibus bill that included SB 248, which raises the minimum age to purchase and possess tobacco and vaping products from 19 to 21-years-old.

The Senate bill was sponsored by Sen. David Watters, D-4, who had sought the increase for several years before it passed this session. Watters has said that he was troubled by the growing use of e-cigarettes and vaping products, as well as cigarettes, by children in middle and highs school.

The increase brings New Hampshire into alignment with the federal minimum age to purchase tobacco products, which was signed into law in Dec. 2019. However, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration has not yet begun to enforce that minimum age via its compliance checks, though that is expected to begin in the coming months.

Overall Score

Avatar photo

Patrick Lagreid

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, the G-League's Valley Suns, and previously the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for Major League Baseball, plus I'm a voice over artist. Prior to joining halfwheel, I covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.