As Smoking Age Increases In Maryland, Health Officials Investigating 20 Cases Of Severe Lung Illness
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Effective Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, you must be at least 21 years old to buy smoking products in Maryland.
Oct. 1 marks the day several laws become effective across the state.
New MD Laws Take Effect Oct. 1, Here's What You Need To Know
State health officials are investigating at least 20 cases of severe lung illnesses in the state, some of which are in young adults. They call it a "major public health concern."
"This is a major public health concern, especially for our youth and young adults, as it is not yet known which products or devices caused people to become sick," health officials said in a statement.
The new law aims to "curb tobacco and electronic smoking device use in youth and young adults by raising the legal sale age of these products from 18 to 21 years of age."
"The biggest thing is these are kids who shouldn't be getting these," Sinai Children's Hospital Doctor Scott Krugman said. "Kids should not be vaping. We have no idea what chemicals are in e-cigarettes."
Health officials ask the public to refrain from use of all e-cigarettes and vaping products.
"We need to treat this just like we treated cigarettes two decades ago," Krugman said. "We need to regulate them, we need to put age limits on them and really hold people accountable for selling them to minors."
"Cannabis or "THC" vape-products that are obtained off the street may pose the greatest risk," officials also said.