On Monday, March 18th the Lakewood City Council unanimously voted to raise
their minimum age to buy nicotine and tobacco products from 18 to 21. Lakewood joined 21 other communities and over 450 municipalities all over the country by passing a similar law.

The new law will be very beneficial for the community and cut down on underage smokers. Everyday nearly 6,000 children under 18 years of age start smoking, nearly 2,000 will become regular smokers. That is almost 800,000 annually. Approximately 90 percent of smokers begin smoking before the age of 21.

E-cigarette vapor can contain substances that are addictive and can cause lung disease,heart disease and possibly even cancer. It is important to know that most e cigarettes contain nicotine which is a highly addictive chemical that could harm the brain development of teenagers. Sense e-cigarettes are not regulated by the U.S Food and Drug administration there is no way of knowing how much nicotine or harmful chemicals are actually in them.

To make sure that the new law stays in tact and to protect underage smokers first time violators will receive a written warning, followed by fines of $250, $500 and $1,000 for subsequent violations.
If they keep getting in trouble the business owners could have their permit suspended or even revoked.