Lane County Commissioners voted Tuesday to raise the legal age for tobacco purchase or possession from 18 to 21 years of age. Lane is the first county in Oregon to make this change.
The Board voted 3 to 2 in favor of the ordinance. It prohibits tobacco sales to persons under 21. This includes electronic cigarettes and any component or accessory used in the consumption of tobacco products. Lane County Board Chair Pat Farr says the goal is to improve people’s health.
Farr: “It’s been important to just about all of us for a long time to make certain that A, kids don’t start smoking and B, people who do smoke have a real reason to quit smoking. So, really, it’s a part of our community health improvement plan.”
The plan states that raising the smoking age has been shown as an effective way to reduce tobacco use which is one of the leading causes of death in Lane County. The ordinance takes effect April 13th .
