California's smoking age raised to 21

A person holds a cigarette.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) signed a bill on Wednesday that raises the state's smoking age to 21, from 18.

"The governor's signature on Tobacco 21 is a signal that California presents a united front against Big Tobacco," state Sen. Ed Hernandez (D) said in a statement. "Together, we stand to disrupt the chain of adolescent addiction." Brown also signed a bill that restricts the use of e-cigarettes in public spaces. California is now the second U.S. state to raise the smoking age to 21, after Hawaii. Active military members are exempt from the law.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.