Should New Hampshire Put Out Cigarette Sales Forever?

They wouldn't be the first to consider banning the sale of cigarettes, as Hawaii has already raised the idea.

The Granite State has always been known for the "old man on the mountain," and not the "Marlboro Man." Still, recent restrictions on the sale of cigarettes by neighbors Massachusetts and Maine could be taken further. In Hawaii, State Rep. Richard Creagan has sponsored legislation that aims to phase in a ban, raising the age requirement to 30 in 2020, 40 in 2021, 50 in 2022 and 100 in 2024. According to USA Today, Creagan is also a medical doctor, and his bill would not include electronic cigarettes, cigars, or smokeless tobacco.

In 2016, Hawaii lead the nation with raising the smoking age to 21. Five other states followed. New Hampshire was not one of them.

Even if Hawaii enacts a version of the legislation, it isn't likely to happen overnight. Experts told USA Today that "Creagan’s ambitious bill may get watered down in the legislature, and it will likely face opposition from the tobacco industry."