Tobacco 21

What Is Tobacco 21?

Tobacco 21 is a national campaign taking a local approach to raising the tobacco sales age from 18 to 21 years of age. Currently, over 290 cities and five states have already raised the age to 21.

RULES & FEES

Read the code regarding tobacco products and sales

See the 2018 Environmental Health Code Fees

KEY DATES

Please note that all tobacco retailers in the City of Akron will receive a letter with more information on the week of May 21st, 2018.

The ordinance will officially go into effect on October 1st, 2018.

Why Raise the Age?

PROTECTS KIDS

In Summit County, 1 in 7 kids (13.5%) in 9th - 12th grade has used cigarettes in the last 30 days.
Kids who use tobacco commonly get it from people between ages 18-20.
Youth addicted to nicotine are 7 times more likely to have a drug use disorder.
The brain is still developing during the late teens and early 20s, and the probability of nicotine addiction is especially high during this time.

PROVEN TO WORK

Just 2% of tobacco sales (under 21) produce 90% of new smokers.
People who have not used tobacco by age 21 are unlikely to ever start.
Research shows that a sales age of 21 across the U.S. could result in:
- 286,000 fewer pre-term births
- 438,000 fewer babies with low birth weight

PAYS OFF

Smoking-related illnesses hurt our health and our wealth. Hospital patients who smoke have longer stays and higher medical costs than non-smokers.
A sales age of 21 across the U.S. would save society an estimated $212 billion over a 50-year period.