STATEMENT REGARDING WASHINGTON STATE RAISING THE PURCHASING AGE TO 21 FOR ALL TOBACCO AND VAPOR PRODUCTS

Policy, Underage Use Prevention

April 5, 2019

From Kevin Burns, JUUL Labs Chief Executive Officer

We congratulate Governor Inslee, the Washington State Legislature, and Attorney General Ferguson for their successful efforts to raise the purchasing age for all tobacco products, including vapor products, to 21, and we hope more states follow Washington’s example. 

We cannot fulfill our mission to provide the world’s one billion adult smokers with a true alternative to combustible cigarettes, the number one cause of preventable death in this country, if youth use continues unabated. Tobacco 21 laws fight one of the largest contributors to this problem – sharing by legal-age peers – and they have been shown to dramatically reduce youth-use rates. That is why we are committed to working with lawmakers to enact these effective policies at the local, state and national levels.

Read more about our push to raise the purchasing age for all tobacco and vapor products nationwide.