Hawaii Becomes First State to Increase Smoking Age to 21

You have to be 21 to smoke in Hawaii.

State governor David Ige signed a bill on Friday to increase the legal smoking age to 21. Hawaii will become the first state in history to rise the smoking age to over 20.

"Hold on to your butt!" Hawai'i, we're the first state in the nation to raise the legal smoking age to 21! pic.twitter.com/p03RbCSpGl

— Governor David Ige (@GovHawaii) June 20, 2015

"Raising the minimum age as part of our comprehensive tobacco control efforts will help reduce tobacco use among our youth and increase the likelihood that our keiki (children) will grow up to be tobacco-free," Ige said in a statement.

The law, which also bans the sale, purchase or use of electronic cigarettes for everyone under the age of 21, will prohibit people of age from smoking cigarettes or vaping at state parks and beaches. Smoking and vaping have already been banned in all city and county parks with the exception of Kaua'I County.

Proponents of a higher smoking age argue that the brain is still developing at the age of 18. When people turn 21, their brains are more adept at making a better and more informed decision when it comes to tobacco use. A recent study out of Ohio State University added that people who start smoking before the age of 21 are significantly more addicted to nicotine. These smokers are also more likely to smoke more than people who start smoking later in life.

Critics of the law believe that it infringes upon the teenagers' right to choose. The opponents stated that if 18-year-olds can make the adult decision to join the military, they should be able to have the freedom to decide on whether or not they want to smoke or vape.

The teenage smoking rate in Hawaii is extremely high. The governor's office calculated that roughly nine out of 10 smokers picked up the habit before the age of 21. The Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids calculated that tobacco use is responsible for 1,400 deaths per year.

The majority of the states within the U.S. have a legal smoking age of 18. Some states have the age limit set one year higher at 19. However, more recently a few states have been trying to increase the age in order to cut teenage smoking rates down. California and Washington have pushed for the legal smoking age to be set at 21.

The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2016.