New Jersey Assembly Sends Tobacco Purchasing Age Increase to Gov. Christie Again
The New Jersey State Assembly overwhelmingly approved a bill that would raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco in the state to 21, but it’s unclear if it will become law.
It passed the Senate 23-14 and was approved by the Assembly 53-16 with six members abstaining, however it now heads to Gov. Chris Christie, who pocket vetoed a similar effort in early 2015. Pocket vetoing is a maneuver where an executive refuses to sign the bill and allows the bill to essentially expire.
If Christie signs the bill, it would be illegal for someone under 21 to purchase tobacco products, but it won’t make possession or use of tobacco products by a person under 21 a crime. Retailers would face fines between $250 and $1,000 should they sell to a minor.
New Jersey would join California and Hawaii as the only states to have a minimum purchasing age of 21.
Charlie Minato
I am an editor and co-founder of halfwheel.com/Rueda Media, LLC. I previously co-founded and published TheCigarFeed, one of the two predecessors of halfwheel. I have written about the cigar industry for more than a decade, covering everything from product launches to regulation to M&A. In addition, I handle a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff here at halfwheel. I enjoy playing tennis, watching boxing, falling asleep to the Le Mans 24, wearing sweatshirts year-round and eating gyros. echte liebe.
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