The signing of legislation by President Donald Trump to amend the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, has resulted in US FDA doing something that was long overdue – raising the minimum age to purchase tobacco in US from 18 to 21 years.

According to National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 80% of all adult smokers begin smoking before the age of 18 and approx.. 95% of all adult smokers began to smoke before the age of 21.

In 2015, the Institute of Medicine found that raising the minimum age of smoking from 18 to 21 would prevent approximately 2,23,000 premature deaths amongst American born between 2000 and 2019. It has also estimated that in the first five years of policy implementation there would be a 25% reduction in youth smoking initiation and 12% reduction in smoking rates overall.