The age requirement to purchase and use tobacco products is increasing from 18 to 21-years-old. The federal change was signed by the President in December and will take about nine months to enact. According to the Centers for Disease Control, tobacco use is the single largest preventable cause of death and disease in the U.S. with 480,000 Americans dying each year. Also, smoking-related illness costs more than $300 billion per year in the U.S.

Washington County Public Health Administrator Danielle Pettit-Majewski shares there are free resources for people wanting to quit using tobacco products, “There are some excellent resources to help you quit smoking. And I will just say that number one: e-cigarettes are not a good way to quit smoking. That has not been approved by the FDA but there are a lot of things that have been. One of the best things that you can do to stop smoking is by contacting Quitline Iowa, the number for that is 1-800-QUIT-NOW.”

There’s also a free program to help teens quit smoking or using vaping products, “You know, ultimately it does negatively impact your health and we have seen quicker consequences from the vaping even than we’ve seen in tobacco, but that’s called My Life My Quit, and it’s a free youth tobacco cessation program that’s made especially made for teens. And so you can actually start your quit today by texting Start My Quit to 855-891-9989. That would be a great way to quit smoking.” That program includes an option for text messages and support to quit. Pettit-Majewski also recommends people talk to their health care providers about options like lozenges and patches.