Pennsylvania has become the 19th state to raise the smoking age to 21.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed legislation Wednesday that prohibits those under age 21 from buying cigarettes, any tobacco product, and e-cigarettes and accessories.

The new law also would prohibit the possession of tobacco products on school grounds for students and adults. However, local school boards could retain the option of creating a designated outdoor smoking area for non-students.

The legislation takes effect July 1.

“Numerous studies have shown tobacco products, including smokeless tobacco and e-cigarettes, are particularly harmful and addictive to youths and young adults,” Wolf said. “Raising the age to 21 in combination with barring e-cigarettes at our schools will help us prevent young Pennsylvanians from engaging in this dangerous behavior.”

Although we support the increase in age from 18 to 21, we are not convinced the law will stop underage smokers and vapers.

As we have seen with alcohol use, minors still would be able to obtain these items from those who are able to purchase them legally.

And, even as government regulators move to crack down on youth vaping, eBay and other online marketplaces still are awash with vaping products that can be purchased by teens.

Vaping may pose serious and avoidable health risks, and this is something parents need to address with their children.

The primary concern most experts have about e-cigarette use among young people is that most of these products contain nicotine, which is addictive.

Exposure to nicotine during youth can cause long-term harm to brain development.

E-cigarettes also expose users to toxic heavy metals and cancer-causing chemicals, though in most cases at lower levels than traditional cigarettes.

More than 44,000 students took part in a 2018 annual survey of drug, alcohol and cigarette use among eighth-, 10th- and 12th-graders. About 37 percent of 12th-graders reported vaping in 2018, compared with 28 percent in 2017. Vaping of each substance that was asked about increased. This includes nicotine, flavored liquids, marijuana and hash oil.

According to a recent Gallup poll, 73 percent of Americans said the minimum age to buy tobacco products should be raised to 21.

But experts agree that the safest thing for kids and teens is to avoid nicotine products in the first place.

Experts suggest that parents talk with their children about these products and explain that e-cigarettes aren’t risk-free even if they aren’t the same as combustible cigarettes.

— JGG