FDA Mandates New Requirements for Younger Smokers

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Aug. 29 issued a new rule that mandates checking identification for all people aged under 30 who are trying to buy tobacco products like cigarettes. Regulators said that retailers must verify “by means of photographic identification” that people purchasing cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and other products with tobacco are 21 or older. The verification was previously in place but was applied to people 26 years of age or younger. The change is part of recent moves by the FDA and legislators to try to stop young people from using tobacco. “Today’s rule is another key step toward protecting our nation’s youth from the health risks of tobacco products,” Brian King, director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products, said in a statement....