The US Senate has voted to raise the minimum age to purchase cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and all other tobacco products from 18 to 21.
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The age limit is part of a massive federal spending bill that has already passed the House of Representatives and is expected to be signed into law by President Donald Trump.
The legislation on Wednesday comes amid a wave of e-cigarette-related lung illnesses in the US, including 54 deaths.
Usage of e-cigarettes and vaping products has spiked among teens sending alarm bells among health policy advocates.
The age increase will go into effect later next year.
As of December 2019 19 states and Washington, DC, have raised the tobacco age to 21, covering over half of the US population, according to the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
JUUL, one of the largest producers of e-cigarettes in the US, has publicly supported the age increase.
Critics accuse the e-cigarette maker of seeking to preempt stronger government regulations by supporting the age increase.
Australian Associated Press