Orange County NC Website
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signatures on the petition, 290 were high school students—44 of whom are 18 years or older— <br />and 28 adults. <br /> <br />“Many teens can easily access tobacco through people who are 18 or 19,” Shanaera Davis, an <br />Orange High School TRU Club member, said. “Because of this, we feel that tobacco shouldn’t <br />be sold to people younger than 21. We have collected over 300 signatures from people, mostly <br />high school students, who agree with this. Tobacco use is steadily increasing, and people <br />should take that into consideration and help stop it.” <br /> <br />According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, more than 68 cities and counties in eight <br />states have done the same. Hawaii became the first state to raise the tobacco sale age to 21. <br />In North Carolina, state law preempts local governments from regulating the sale, distribution, <br />display or promotion of tobacco products—including e-cigarettes—which prevents counties and <br />towns from increasing the minimum legal sale age. Local control and ability to pass such a <br />policy would be restored if the General Assembly rescinded preemption, or a law to increase the <br />sale age could to be adopted at the state level. Recently the Orange County Board of Health <br />and county commissioners expressed support for raising the legal sale age to 21. <br />