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Guam raises tobacco age to 21 come 2018

The legal smoking age in Guam will be 21 next year.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-4346104/Guam-raises-tobacco-age-21-come-2018.html

The Pacific Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/2nPFaIb ) that a measure lapsed into law this week raising the legal age to use or purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 stating Jan. 1, 2018. Lawmakers unanimously passed the measure on March 9 and the governor took no action, meaning the measure automatically became law.

Last year, the Legislature passed a similar bill to raise the legal tobacco age to 21 but Gov. Eddie Calvo vetoed it, saying the bill didn’t give residents the freedom to choose.

According to the American Cancer Society, smoking rates on Guam have declined in recent years to 27.4 percent, but still remain higher than the national average of 17.5 percent.

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