Among adult smokers, the surge in the usage of heated tobacco products as an alternative to conventional cigarettes is becoming prominent. Though there is tobacco and nicotine in these products, which indicate attendant health issues, there are governments which impose age limits on their purchase. For the consumers and the retailers who must comply with the laws of the country, knowing the legal age to purchase heated tobacco is of great value. As these laws vary from one country to another, with the legal age in one’s country, one can make the appropriate decision.
What is Heated Tobacco
Unlike the conventional cigarette, heated tobacco products (HTPs) are not smoked, but instead are ‘vaporised’. The difference? The tobacco is heated, not combusted, and thus creates a vaporised form that is inhaled, rather than smoked. Due to a lack of combustion, heated tobacco products, unlike conventional cigarettes, are not associated with specific detrimental side effects brought on by the burning of tobacco.
The burning of tobacco can discard the presence of a silencer of cigarettes, which is nicotine. Though the smoker is not directly consuming heated tobacco aerosol, heated tobacco still exists and can be inhaled. The risks associated with heated tobacco are not dissimilar from the inhalation of conventional cigarettes. Legal frameworks that the world is confined to still regard HTPs as tobacco products, with varying regulations depending on the country.
Legal Age to Buy Heated Tobacco
Talk about the ‘legal age to buy heated tobacco and it pertains to the youngest age a consumer can buy this type of product. This age may be different from the age of consumption, possession, or usage. Lawmakers set this age to restrict the onset of use and dependence due to adolescence being a particularly sensitive age for addiction.
Minimum Age in Major Countries
The following countries have different ways of controlling the purchase/use of heated tobacco. Here are some of the major jurisdictions.
What Is the Age To Use Heated Tobacco in America
In the United States, the federal “Tobacco 21” law stipulates that the minimum age of purchase of burning heated tobacco and all other forms of tobacco is set at 21 years.
This includes burning cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, e-cigarettes, and heated tobacco. Several states had already moved to 21 before the federal law, but now it is the national minimum.
What is the legal age to use heated tobacco in Canada
For heated tobacco products, the federal minimum sales age is 18 years. Heated tobacco sales to persons under 18 years of age are prohibited under any circumstance.
What is the legal age to use heated tobacco in Europe
Within the European Union, a sizable portion of its member states is subject to the EU Tobacco Products Directive, or other domestic tobacco control regulations, which usually offer sales of tobacco products, including heated tobacco, to persons 18 years and older.
Although there is a proposal in some member states to raise the age limit, other Member States within the European Union do not face any age limit. At the same time, the rest of the world may witness some variation or added restrictions. Such laws usually contain additional provisions — i.e., health warnings and restrictions, framework on packaging and its tax, promotion control, and marketing control.
At what age can you use heated tobacco in the UK?
The entire region of the United Kingdom (comprising England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) states that a person must be 18 years or older to access any tobacco product, which includes the heated and smoke-free alternatives as well.
While the UK remains at the forefront of age-restricted tobacco sales, the entire region has also made provisions to limit tobacco sales to only those of a certain age. The United Kingdom has made it a policy to enforce age control at the time of purchase, in person or on the internet.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill that is currently under consideration in the UK contains some crucial provisions on narrowing and resolving loopholes in the regulatory perimeter that control the sale of tobacco, nicotine products, and e-cigarettes, along with related goods.
Ways to Verify Your Age when Buying a Vape / Heated Tobacco
‘Vapeable’ heated tobacco products are available to purchase only by adult persons aged at least 18 years old, depending on country regulations. However, sellers are often required by law to ask for proof of age. Common ways of age verification are as follows:
1. Photographic documents like passports, identity cards, driver’s licenses, etc, are often used as proof of age as they contain date of birth and age.
2. When products are sold and purchased through e-commerce sites, they may request age verification through the use of self-scan ID documents to either ID document verification providers or digital self-serve identity verification systems.
3. Sometimes, age verification is done through the age estimation and ID verification systems that also request the user to sign the documents digitally.
4. Most brick-and-mortar establishments request that users digitally sign the documents and, through other means, verify their age by reporting, claiming or through digital ID supports.
5. Entering, looks and other restricted areas, commonly age-restricted for other use, users who do not appear in the user ID scanning systems within designated age ranges are required to verify their ID.
Conclusion
In most places which come under the US, UK, Canada, and EU, people aged 18 years are restricted from buying, while in the US, the legal age is 21.
Before purchasing heated tobacco, it is important to research specific laws within your region or country. Laws change, especially when it comes to protecting minors from using nicotine. Among all the options, Rejonow is one of the best options to get your hands on vapes. Regardless, you should still understand the consequences of using tobacco and nicotine products.
