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The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports the bill, signed Thursday, received bipartisan support as well as backing from Altria, the nation's largest tobacco company.
The law's restrictions apply to cigarettes and liquid nicotine used in vaping devices and exempts active-duty military personnel. It curtails sales of tobacco and nicotine products from vending machines considered accessible to people under 21.
Chesterfield Republican Sen. Amanda Chase voted against the bill, saying it strips decision-making power from people who are legally adults.
The Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids says six other states and more than 400 localities have raised the minimum age to buy tobacco to 21.
Reader Comments
Unless we want to discuss the personal choice options continually restricted by governments that probably don't have public health issues in mind and are seldom qualifed to make such descisions anyway. But they gave us fluoridated water and mandatory innoculations long since - while permitting glysophate and a thousand other toxic or untested chemicals that continue to appear in ... everything.
We'd do better on our own; we can easily research each and every chemical additve on our smart phones and on home or library computers. Consumer awareness and demand have driven the 'natural' foods trend, the organic foods market, and the current gluten/glyphosate labeling.
We make our own decisions about abortion and boycotts, food and pharmaceuticals, beauty/health and cleaning products, etc. - government just gets in the way.
No more machine gun fodder.
As smoking tobacco improves cognitive skills, strengthens the immune systems, blah blah, etc, shouldn't there be a Campaign for Free Tobacco for Kids?