In the past decade, vaping has exploded in popularity, surpassing even nicotine replacement therapies as the most widely used tool for helping people give up cigarettes. However, a new demographic of problematic customers—inquisitive teenagers—has emerged with the business’s rising profile. In this article, we’ll talk about how old do you have to be to buy vape globally.
One of the many methods lawmakers and regulators use to keep vape products such as vape pens out of the hands of minors is setting a minimum age when they can purchase vape. Legislators need help determining the legal age of purchase, sanctions for shops that sell to minors, and enforcement methods.
What Rules Apply to Vaping?
When individuals first began vaping, it was difficult for lawmakers to regulate the practice since it was still relatively new. Even in this day and age, a significant number of nations are still having trouble with it. While many countries regulate it in the same manner as they do items containing tobacco, others handle it as if it were its own product.
As a result, you will discover that the age restriction for vaping in some countries is the same as for smoking tobacco, but in others, it is not. Vaping is even prohibited in certain nations, while it is completely prohibited in others.
When Can You Start Vaping Legally?
Since December 2019, vaping has been illegal for anybody under 21 in the United States. When Trump signed Tobacco 21, the United States joined a small group of nations that have raised the vaping age to at least 21. Vaping age restrictions needed to be clarified before the federal Tobacco 21 statute was passed. The minimum age to buy or use an electronic cigarette varied from state to state and city, from 18 to 21.
The age restriction for vaping was first implemented in New York City in 2014, then in Hawaii in 2016. Although Tobacco 21 was a dramatic shift in who may use e-cigarettes, about 19 states and hundreds of towns had begun applying Tobacco 21 rules before the federal law’s implementation.
Is Vaping Regarded As a Tobacco Product?
The FDA defines Tobacco products in a very wide and inclusive way. Nicotine-containing electronic cigarettes fall under the category of tobacco products. But e-cig mod vape batteries are also rather expensive. Electronic cigarette kits, pod vape systems, and associated battery chargers are all classified as tobacco products.
The Food and Drug Administration classifies e-cigarettes and other vaping accessories as tobacco products. It requires that they be handled in line with tobacco product standards, including minimum age requirements.
The Legal Age of Vaping in Different Countries
Vaping is often only legal for those above the age of 18. However, the minimum age may change from one jurisdiction to another. The minimum age to legally purchase tobacco products varies widely among nations and regions, from 16 in some places to 21 in others. The minimum age to buy or use an electronic cigarette in each country is listed below.
- United States – The purchase and use of vaping goods require the user to be above the age of 21.
- Canada – In most provinces, the minimum age to purchase or use an electronic cigarette is 19.
- United Kingdom – Both the purchase and use of vaping goods require the user to be above 18.
- Australia – The purchase and use of vaping goods require the user to be above 18.
- New Zealand – The purchase and use of vaping goods require the user to be above 18.
Remember that vaping may have age limitations depending on where you live. These age limits are in place because vaping devices pose serious health risks, and society should work to keep them out of the hands of minors.
The possible risks of vaping among minors must be taken seriously. To reduce the number of young people picking up this habit and to help those who are already addicted, more laws and education measures are required.
How Old Do You Have to Be to Vape Without Nicotine?
The minimum age to purchase nicotine-free vaping equipment is the same as the minimum age to vape legally. As previously stated, tobacco product includes electronic cigarettes. Furthermore, the vaping device itself is classified as a kind of tobacco. Therefore, users of all devices must be of legal vaping age to do so.
Conclusion
The majority of nations either regulate vaping as a tobacco product, as a stand-alone consumer product category, or not at all. Several nations do not permit the sale of vapor goods. In countries where electronic cigarettes are regulated, the minimum age to legally purchase one is often the same as the age at which a person is considered an adult. Although it varies from country to country, that age is typically 18 in most places.
