Congress has permanently banemd the sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes to anyone under the age of 21.
The new regulations were included in the budget for the federal government for 2020, negotiated among lawmakers in Washington.
Raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21 had broad, bipartisan support among both Democrats and Republicans in the House and Senate.
Major tobacco companies also pushed for the ban, at least partly due to concerns that without further action they will be subject to even greater federal oversight and regulation.
In the largest class action settlement in U.S. history, in 1998 major tobacco companies were forced to pay $206 billion over time to cover medical expenses for smoking-related illnesses.
Growing Regulation on E-Cigarettes
Federal regulators and legislators are also taking a close look at manufacturers of e-cigarettes, which heat nicotine-containing liquid into an inhalable vapor. These manufacturers, including the nation’s largest e-cigarette brand, JUUL, are alleged to have downplayed health risks, engaged in deceptive marketing and targeted minors with “fun” flavors and easily concealable devices.
In recent months, a public health crisis has exploded across the country as the use of JUUL and other e-cigarettes has been associated with EVALI, otherwise known as “e-cigarette and vaping product-associated lung injury.”
As of December 2019, almost 2,500 cases of lung injury and illness associated with e-cigarette use (known as “vaping”) have been reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For more information on e-cigarette-related injury, illness and lawsuits, please check out our JUUL and e-cigarette injury FAQs.
Have you or a loved one suffered injury or illness due to JUUL or other e-cigarettes?
If you or a loved one have suffered injury or death associated with vaping products like JUUL e-cigarettes, you may qualify for a JUUL lawsuit — and you may be entitled to financial compensation.
For a FREE consultation with an experienced JUUL lawsuit attorney at Riddle & Brantley, please call 1-800-525-7111 or complete the short form below.
There are no upfront costs or attorney fees unless we win your case and you receive financial compensation.
Call 1-800-525-7111 and let’s talk. If you or a loved one has suffered injury or illness due to JUUL or other vaping products, you deserve justice.
“This settlement changed me and my family’s lives.”-Linda B. The law firm of Riddle & Brantley has been holding negligent companies accountable for their actions for more than three decades, and we’d love to help you if we can. Please call us today at 1-800-525-7111. No win, no fee! Justice Counts.