United States: Task Force calls for raising legal age for tobacco and nicotine sales to 21

In the United States, the Child Facility Task Force, a North Carolina working group that studies the causes of infant and child mortality, annually proposes recommendations for texts or amendments to existing laws to the governor and state legislators. In their 2025 report, the members of this group suggest, among other things, raising the legal age at which it is possible to sell tobacco and other nicotine products from 18 to 21 to align with federal law and requiring mandatory sales licenses for all tobacco retailers.[1]

The Task Force puts forward several proposals for regulating tobacco, non-therapeutic nicotine products and cannabis

The North Carolina Infant Mortality Task Force (CFTF), in its February 2025 annual report, highlights that youth smoking and vaping are a major public health problem. It suggests, among other things, raising the minimum age for selling tobacco and other nicotine products to 21 and requiring retailers to have a sales license. Regarding cannabis products, they call for them to be presented in a less attractive way, particularly for young people, through the inclusion of health warnings and regulations on packaging and products that can no longer be presented in the form of candy, cookies, snacks, drinks, etc.

The report states that " Unlike other states, there is no minimum age for the sale of cannabis-based intoxicants in North Carolina, and no safety regulations are in place. »[2].

The task force recommends banning the sale of narcotic cannabis products to people under 21 years of age because, unlike in other states, there is no minimum age for the sale of these products. According to state hospital data, emergency room visits for cannabis ingestion increased by more than 600 times between 2019 and 2023 for youth aged 17 and younger. For 15- to 17-year-olds alone, the increase is more than 1,000 times.

A major health issue in this state

With the 10^e North Carolina has the highest infant mortality rate in the country, and is also one of seven states that have not yet raised the legal age for tobacco sales to 21, and one of nine states that does not require a license or permit from a tobacco retailer. The task force explains that limiting the legal age for selling tobacco or other nicotine products to 18, rather than 21, encourages vaping at a younger age, and that the lack of licenses is an obstacle to enforcement.

In 2023, 37% of North Carolina high school students reported having used a vaping product, compared to more than 50% of 12th graders.[3] Young people obtain vaping products from various outlets such as gas stations, grocery stores, or vape shops.

One of the main obstacles to controlling youth access to tobacco and vaping products is the lack of robust enforcement mechanisms. Without a statewide retailer licensing system, authorities struggle to effectively monitor compliance and punish violations. Public health experts and agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Surgeon General advocate licensing tobacco retailers as an effective strategy to reduce youth access to nicotine products.

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[1] Bonner, Lynn, An NC task force suggests raising the age for legal tobacco purchases to 21, NC Newsline, published March 4, 2025, accessed March 5, 2025

[2] Athans, Elaina, Children Fatality Task Force aims to stricter tobacco laws, gun safety, abc11, published March 3, 2025, accessed March 5, 2025

[3] McLeod, Karen, Cox, Jill, Hatcher, Kella, NORTH CAROLINA Child Fatality Task Force Annual Report to the Governor and General Assembly, February 2025, 56 pages

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