Talk:U.S. history of tobacco minimum purchase age by state

Proposed merge of Tobacco 21 into Smoking ages in the United States
Tobacco 21 is the movement while Smoking ages in the United States is a brief history of the US smoking age. I don't think two articles are necessary. cookie monster (2020)  755  03:44, 26 April 2021 (UTC)


 * Concur, please do merge. Reywas92Talk 04:22, 9 May 2021 (UTC)
 * Oppose: Tobacco 21 is a notable campaign relevant to the U.S. history of tobacco minimum purchase age by state, but also still active and not just historical. The pages are already appropriately linked, so readers won't miss relevant information, and neither are stubs. So, I think that the current structure is fine. Klbrain (talk) 08:13, 17 September 2021 (UTC)
 * Oppose: I agree with the statements made by Klbrain I believe these articles are better suited remaining separate. UndeadAnarchy  (talk) 02:54, 26 April 2022 (UTC)

Legal age to purchase tobacco in Alaska is 19 not 21
The map shows AK as being 21. Sept 8 2022 A bill to raise the age to purchase tobacco products to 21 was vetoed. The legal age is 19. https://www.ktoo.org/2022/09/11/dunleavy-vetoes-e-cigarettes-tax/ https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/32/Vetoes/SB45.pdf https://alaskabar.org/youth/sex-drugs-and-rock-n-roll/drugs/tobacco/tobacco-information/ 24.237.29.190 (talk) 19:14, 12 September 2022 (UTC)
 * The smoking age in Alaska is 21 under federal law and most retailers have stopped selling to minors (persons under 21) even if state law has a lower tobacco purchase age. The article has been updated appropriately to show state law is 19, federal law is 21, in Alaska. cookie monster   755  02:20, 16 September 2022 (UTC)

Federal Enforcement and Federal Penalties vs. State Allowance
I am alittle confused because of the difference in federal and state laws on the topic, in part because I know that enforcement in states can differ from the federal law. For instance, in 1970 states differed on the drinking age, and it was only when the federal government pressured states into passing state laws on the 21 drinking age that in effect states banned and enforced their bans on drinking under 21. Part of the issue probably relates to enforcement. If you are in a state that allows 18-20 year olds to smoke tobacco under state law, are federal law enforcement agencies going to penalize young adults for possessing, using, or acquiring it? I would expect not. It would seem that federal marshals or DEA agents would have to be the ones making those arrests or giving those citations under federal law. I couldn't find online what penalty federal law would impose, either. Rakovsky (talk) 00:52, 21 January 2024 (UTC)