Reminder: California's New Smoking Age Law Goes Into Effect

California's new law raising the smoking age from 18 to 21 went into effect Thursday. People under 21 are no longer able to buy cigarettes or e-cigarettes, among other tobacco products.

The state joins Hawaii and a host of other cities and states that have similar laws in place.

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Under the law, the sale of all tobacco products is prohibited to anyone under the age of 21. That designation includes not only cigarettes and e-cigarettes but also cigars, cigarette papers and blunt wraps.

A bill signed on the same day also prohibits using e-cigarettes in schools and restaurants and on public transportation.

The FDA in May was given oversight over e-cigarettes at the federal level.

Usage of e-cigarettes among high school students increased from 1.5 percent in 2011 to 16 percent in 2015, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey recently found. Cigar and hookah usage has also increased, the Food and Drug Administration says, as people seek an alternative to cigarettes.

The American Lung Association says that 90 percent of tobacco users begin smoking before the age of 21.

Tobacco-related diseases killed 34,000 Californians in 2009 and cost California more than $18 billion in medical expenses, according to studies by UC San Francisco.

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