Vermont Senate OKs bill raising age to buy tobacco, e-cigarettes

The Vermont Senate has advanced a bill to raise the age to buy tobacco products and e-cigarettes from 18 to 21.

Next, the bill heads to the House Human Services Committee.

Leaders from a number of health organizations, as well as several school principals, say smoking and vaping have become rampant in schools and even middle schoolers are starting.

If passed into law, the Tobacco 21 bill would ban the sale of cigarettes, other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes including JUUL, whose use among youth has been declared a "public health epidemic" by the U.S. surgeon general.