21 To Purchase Tobacco And Right To Die Laws Take Effect

Sacramento, CA — Legislation limiting the age to light up and an assisted suicide law both go into effect today, Thursday, in California.

As previously reported in May, Governor Jerry Brown’s signature set the legal age to buy tobacco for smoking, dipping, chewing and vaping from 18 to 21. California follows Hawaii as the second state to raise the legal age to 21. The law exempts Military personnel.  To fend off a possible push by tobacco companies to snuff out the bill, Democratic lawmakers stalled the bill for nearly two months to just before the deadline for the governor’s signature.

Another bill taking effect is the “Right to Die” bill.  As reported here, it allows the terminally ill to legally choose to end their lives. The legislation faced some concern from the state’s large Latino and African-American communities over health care costs, worrying that poor people with serious illnesses could be pressured to take lethal drugs as a cheaper option to long-term care.

California joins Washington, Vermont, Montana and Oregon in legalizing assisted suicide.