INDIANAPOLIS— The Indiana Legislature’s public health study committee approved a recommendation this past week to raise Indiana’s legal age for buying cigarettes from 18 to 21.  That recommendation comes after hearing testimony on the change that has failed to advance among lawmakers for several years.

Committee chairman Sen. Ed Charbonneau of Valparaiso was quoted as saying that he doesn’t expect action until at least the 2021 legislative session when a new state budget is considered.  That is because Indiana cigarette tax revenue could decline with the change.

The proposed age change would cover both traditional and electronic cigarettes.

Photo by Anastasia Vityukova on Unsplash