Florida Governor Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill to raise the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 because it would have also banned the sale of flavored liquid nicotine products used in vaping.
DeSantis said that hundreds of thousands of Floridians vape as a lower risk alternative to smoking.
“This legislation would almost assuredly lead more people to resume smoking cigarettes and it would drive others to the hazardous black market,” DeSantis wrote, citing lung injury associated with black market products.
Federal law, he pointed out, already raised the age to buy tobacco to 21.
DeSantis said eliminating legal products for adults would not reduce youth vaping. He said it also would devastate small businesses that sell vapor products.