Two bills, SB7, which increases the smoking age to 21, and SB5 which standardizes e-cigarettes as tobacco products have been passed by the State Assembly. Passed on February 25, both the bills are likely to pass in the State Senate before it reaches on the desk of Governor Jerry Brown.

Public health advocates’ attempts of pushing past the clout of the tobacco industry in the state have majorly been an uphill fight. Prime goal of both the bills is to curb the tobacco usage among teenagers which can result into a lifelong addiction.

The California Dept. of Public Health’s public service announcements made in the recent months have exposed the attempts made by the tobacco industry to lure younger smokers, mainly via e-cigarettes, which haven’t dealt with same marketing and other limits faced in the case of traditional cigarettes.

In the case of teens, the popularity of ‘vaping’ or e-cigarettes has been on the rise. The availability of e-juice present in electronic cigarettes in dessert and cereal flavors could tempt young users.

The marketers of products like e-cigarettes and vaping also had scope of using marketing techniques like concert sponsorship or cartoon mascots, something that wasn’t allowed in the case of traditional cigarettes’ marketing.

By increasing the age at which consumers could buy cigarettes to 21, public health officials are hopeful that they will be able to discourage teen smoking.

The co-author of the bill and Assembly Member Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg), noted, “Adolescent brains are uniquely vulnerable to the effects of nicotine and nicotine addiction and 18-year-olds are much more likely to buy tobacco products for their 14 to 16-year-old friends”.

Industry groups and e-cigarette companies are not happy with the legislative efforts, and have argued that e-cigarettes are effective tools to stop smoking and are different from traditional cigarettes as they don’t have tobacco.