Tobacco rich North Carolina may raise the minimum age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 if a bill sponsored by Republican legislators is approved, WNCT TV reported.

House Bill 435 would apply to purchase and possession of tobacco, and would also raise the age to 21 for vaping devices and liquids. Hawaii and California have raised the minimum age.
Representative Greg Murphy said North Carolina ranks second in the country in people between the ages of 18 and 25 who use tobacco products for the first time. E-cigarettes contain nicotine and therefore can serve as a step toward use of other tobacco products, Murphy reportedly said. The age minimum would be raised in phases over a three-year period, the television station said.