Bill To Raise Vaping Age Requirement In Idaho Gets Shutdown

The legal vaping age in the state of Idaho remains the same after a bill to raise the age requirement, SB 1233, was rejected.

Had the bill been succeeded, it would have raised the age requirement for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21. And not just for tobacco products, but for vaping products as well.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Fred Martin (R-Boise), was quoted by The Spokesman-Review as having said that his impression of the bill is that it “would have a very positive effect on Idaho.”

“I think it would have a very positive effect on Idaho.”

Senator Martin introduced a similar piece of legislation last year, but it was killed by the State Affairs Committee which voted 5-4 in favor of rejecting the bill.

As for why Martin is endorsing legislative efforts to raise the state smoking and vaping age requirement, the effort is aimed at stemming youth smoking and tobacco use. In other words, Martin’s attempt to raise the age limit for buying tobacco and vaping products is geared towards protecting the state’s youth from the potential dangerous of using such products.

Nearly 95% of adult smokers begin smoking before the age of 21, according to a coalition of health and education groups known as Tobacco 21 Idaho. By their account, the state would save an estimated $500 million by raising the legal age requirement for tobacco products to 21 – allegedly the result of annual health care cost reductions as a result of tobacco use reduction.

Idaho is by no means the first state to propose raising the state smoking and vaping age from 18 to 21. In fact, a similar law in Oregon went into effect on the first of the year. As a result, it’s now illegal to sell tobacco or vaping products in the state to anyone under the age of 21.