Parents of Children, Teens Unaware of Minimum Legal Age for Tobacco

FRIDAY, April 17, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Most parents of children and adolescents aged 10 to 19 years are unaware that the U.S. federal minimum legal age (MLA) for tobacco sales is 21 years, according to research published online April 14 in Pediatrics.Devin M. McCauley, Ph.D., and Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Ph.D., from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, assessed knowledge of the MLA of sales for electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), cigarettes, and nicotine pouches among U.S. parents of adolescents. Data were included from 2,074 parents/caregivers of adolescents aged 10 to 19 years.The researchers found that the percentage of participants who correctly identified 21 years as the MLA of purchase for each substance was 47.1, 47.7, 46.7, and 81.6 percent for e-cigarettes/vapes, cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and alcohol, respectively. For each product, the most common incorrect response was age 18 years (39.8, 39.8, 35.6, and 9.1 percent for e-cigarettes/vapes, cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and alcohol, respectively). The odds of participant MLA knowledge differed based on oldest child age, parent sex, prior tobacco/alcohol use, and educational attainment."Further Tobacco 21 messaging initiatives are needed to reach families with adolescents in order to raise policy awareness and prompt preventive communication," the authors write. "Pediatricians and nurses are also in an ideal position to assess parent and adolescent knowledge of Tobacco 21 when screening for tobacco use."One author is a paid expert scientist in litigation against the e-cigarette industry.Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Parents of Children, Teens Unaware of Minimum Legal Age for Tobacco

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