One of the primary goals of Lane County TPEP is to prevent youth from beginning to use tobacco and nicotine. One key strategy to prevent youth initiation is by enacting higher minimum age of purchase for tobacco, vaping, and nicotine products.
On March 14, 2017, the Lane County commissioners, acting as both the Board of County Commissioners and the Board of Health, approved an ordinance raising the legal age to purchase or possess tobacco products to 21. This ordinance (17-01) went into effect on April 13, 2017. Shortly after, the State of Oregon passed a statewide policy, Senate Bill 754, that raised minimum age of purchase to 21 for all tobacco and vaping products in Oregon. This legislation led to significant decreases in tobacco initiation and ease of access for youth under 21 years old. To learn more about the impact of Oregon’s Tobacco 21 Law,
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