W.Va. Senate OKs Bill to Raise Minimum Tobacco Use Age to 21

The West Virginia Senate has passed a bill that would raise the state’s minimum legal age for using tobacco products from 18 to 21.

The Senate passed the bill on a 20-14 vote Wednesday. The bill covers all tobacco and vaping products. A similar bill is pending in a House committee.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, West Virginia has among the highest youth smoking rates in the nation.

A similar bill died last year in a Senate committee.

Virginia last week became the seventh state to raise the smoking age to 21. Similar bills are pending before lawmakers in several states.