The new year will bring some changes to Tennessee state law. On January 1, 2021 Public Chapter No. 732 goes into effect raising the legal minimum purchase age of tobacco products in Tennessee to from 18 to 21 years of age. This means that state law will now mirror the federal law which increased the legal purchase age of tobacco products. The federal law went into effect last year, but Tennessee lagged in matching this change. The change in law is applicable to all tobacco and nicotine products including electronic vapor devices, e-liquids and smokeless tobacco. Anyone who appears to be under 30 years of age will be required to show proper ID proving he or she is at least 21 years old. Recent data from 2017 shows that on average 10% of Tennessee high school students reported using traditional cigarettes or electronic nicotine devices in the last 30 days of the survey. With the recent rise in popularity of electronic vapor device it is more important than ever that we as Tennesseans help to implement this law and keep our youth safe. You can do you part as an advocate by making sure that local retailers have the proper signage posted acknowledging the increase in purchase age. Metro Drug Coalition has resources available including window cling stickers and “Born On Date” calendars that calculate the legal birthdate required for purchase. For more information and resources, please contact Katie Cowan at kcowan@metrodrug.org.