On Thursday, California's state Senate approved a bill that will raise the legal purchase age for cigarettes from 18 to 21.
If Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signs the age increase, California will become the second state with a smoking age of 21, following Hawaii, the Sacramento Bee reports. The bill, which includes an exemption for active military members, passed with a 26-10 vote. Only one Democrat voted against the measure, Sen. Cathleen Galgiani of Stockton, who said it "didn't make sense" to cause "so many changes to retail markets."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
What Mike Huckabee means for US-Israel relationsIn the Spotlight Some observers are worried that the conservative evangelical minister could be a destabilizing influence on an already volatile region
-
Airplane food is reportedly getting much worseCockroaches and E. coli are among the recent problems encountered in the skies
-
Crossword: November 19, 2024The Week's daily crossword
-
Judge blocks Louisiana 10 Commandments lawSpeed Read U.S. District Judge John deGravelles ruled that a law ordering schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms was unconstitutional
-
How would assisted dying work in the UK?The Explainer Proposed law would apply to patients in England and Wales with less than six months to live – but medics may be able to opt out
-
Assisted dying: will the law change?Talking Point Historic legislation likely to pass but critics warn it must include safeguards against abuse
-
The EU's landmark AI Act 'rushed' out as countdown begins on complianceThe Explainer 'We will be hiring lawyers while the rest of the world is hiring coders' – Europe's warning about new AI legislation
-
How a Cherokee tribe used tribal sovereignty to open North Carolina's only legal cannabis dispensaryUnder the radar The tribe has plans to open sales to any adult in the state, even though the drug is still illegal there
-
The state of sex work legalization around the worldIn Depth The world's oldest profession has come a long way, but some say it is not enough
-
Is international law falling apart?Today's Big Question Conflict in Gaza is testing the strength of the two intergovernmental courts in The Hague
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
