Promoting Tobacco-Free Living (Tobacco 21)
Goal: Increase the minimum legal sales age for tobacco products to 21 to reduce tobacco use among youth and young adults.
Action: The American Cancer Society, Tobacco-Free Kids, the American Lung Association, and the American Heart Association, among other local and national organizations, formed the Maryland Tobacco 21 campaign. In October 2019, the campaign successfully advocated for Tobacco 21 legislation that increased the minimum legal sales age for tobacco products to 21 to reduce tobacco use among youth and young adults. The Tobacco 21 strategy included a social media campaign and educational materials to recruit and mobilize youth as legislative champions.
On May 13, 2019, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed House Bill 1169 to raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products in the state to 21-years.
