Senate Health Committee OKs raising age to buy tobacco products

ST. CROIX — A push to raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco products from age 18 to 21 passed the Senate Health Committee on Wednesday after receiving broad support from territory public health and licensing officials.

Sen. Ray Fonseca, who chairs the committee, said during an introduction of the bill that the majority of tobacco users who transition to daily use do so between the ages of 18 and 21. “Nicotine addiction is particularly strong in adolescents and young adults, as their brains are still developing — making them more vulnerable to its effects than adults,” he said. “Raising the age at which young people first try or begin using tobacco can help reduce the likelihood of nicotine addiction.”

If signed into law, the measure will align the Virgin Islands Code with federal tobacco laws. Former President Donald Trump signed an amendment to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 2019 that set the minimum age to purchase tobacco products at 21. Nineteen states and the District of Columbia already had such a law on the books, and 23 have adopted the age increase since the federal law was passed, according to the American Lung Association.