Hawaii to raise the smoking age to 100 - or is it?

When, last February, I commented on reports that Hawaii was considering raising the smoking age to 100 (yes, you read that right), I said it was the stuff of satire and was doubtful that it would happen.

But it has. And they included vape products for good measure...

HB 2540: This bill would progressively ban the sale of cigarettes and e-cigarettes by periodically raising the minimum age of purchase. The bill proposes raising the minimum age to purchase these products to 30 years of age by 2021, 40 years of age by 2022, 50 years of age by 2023, until finally 100 years of age by 2025. The bill passed out of the House Health Committee on Tuesday.

Last month was the centenary of the start of alcohol prohibition. It looks like Americans are ready to do it all over again.

UPDATE

Thanks to Jukka on Twitter for bringing this to my attention. It seems that the bill was amended to remove the gradual age progression. It’s not entirely clear what was voted through in the end, but it looks like Hawaii has stopped short of full prohibitionist insanity for the time being.

As you were.