After beginning the process of raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco products from 19 to 21 late in 2013, Utah Senator Stuart Reid (R-Ogden) officially introduced legislation today that would make that proposal a reality, according to a report on CSPNet.com. Senate Bill 12 would not only raise the minimum age to purchase tobacco products and e-cigarettes, but would also increase the penalties for an underage person purchasing or consuming tobacco. Currently, an individual under the age of 18 would go through the juvenile court system. If the proposed bill passes, adults under the age of 21 purchasing or consuming tobacco products would be guilty of a class C misdemeanor, putting it on par with public intoxication, driving without a license or driving with a suspended license. Currently, class C misdemeanors in Utah are punishable by up to 90 days in jail and fines up to $750. The bill would maintain the current penalties for retailers selling to those under age. Currently, it is a class C misdemeanor to sell tobacco product to a person under 21, with the penalty increasing to a class B misdemeanor on a second offense, which comes with up to six months in jail ...
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