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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Scientific Evidence Brief: Minimum Legal Sales Age

About this resource:

Non-Systematic Review

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Last Reviewed: February 2021

Workgroups: Tobacco Use Workgroup

This CDC brief summarizes the scientific evidence on raising the minimum legal sales age (MLSA) for tobacco products. Almost all adult daily smokers start before age 26 — pointing to tobacco prevention for youth and young adults as key to ending the tobacco epidemic. Scientific evidence points to raising the MLSA for tobacco products as important to a comprehensive approach to tobacco prevention control. It can also help protect young people from the harmful, addictive effects of nicotine — especially during a vulnerable period of brain development.

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Objectives related to this resource (12)

Reduce current tobacco use in adults — TU‑01
Improving
Reduce current cigarette smoking in adults — TU‑02
LHI label
Improving
Reduce current tobacco use in adolescents — TU‑04
LHI label
Getting worse
Reduce current e-cigarette use in adolescents — TU‑05
Little or no detectable change
Reduce current cigarette smoking in adolescents — TU‑06
Target met or exceeded
Reduce current cigar smoking in adolescents — TU‑07
Improving
Reduce current use of flavored tobacco products in adolescents who use tobacco — TU‑09
Baseline only
Eliminate cigarette smoking initiation in adolescents and young adults — TU‑10
Improving
Increase past-year attempts to quit smoking in adults — TU‑11
Little or no detectable change
Increase the national average tax on cigarettes — TU‑21
Improving
Reduce current cigarette, cigar, and pipe smoking in adults — TU‑03
Improving
Eliminate policies in states, territories, and DC that preempt local tobacco control policies — TU‑20
Little or no detectable change

Suggested Citation

1.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Summary of Scientific Evidence: Raising the Minimum Legal Sales Age for Tobacco Products. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/evidence/pdfs/minimum-legal-sales-508.pdf