In fact, if you really look at the laws, you`ll see that most places in the world don`t really have a legal smoking age, just a legal age to own and buy tobacco products. So as long as you have someone to provide you with tobacco products, you`re allowed to smoke it at any age in most places in the world – we don`t advise it, of course, but it`s true. If you`re under 21 but want to legally smoke hookah before the age of 21, you`re probably already thinking about other countries that may have different age restrictions for smoking hookah. 139-C: Prohibits the opening of new hookah bars by eliminating the tobacco-free hookah exemption in the Smoke-Free Air Act. It will allow existing hookah bars, which derive more than half of their revenue from hookah-related sales, to continue operating by creating a new licensing system run by the Ministry of Health and Mental Hygiene, although these establishments are not allowed to expand and would revoke their licences if found to be in breach of the law banning the sale of tobacco. Retail licences or permits may be used to limit the number or density of all types of tobacco outlets. In the United States, you must be 21 years old to smoke or purchase or possess tobacco products, including tobacco. In much of the rest of the world, however, the age is 18. New York State (NYS) is a national leader in tobacco control policy. Strong and effective state laws and regulations protect teens from deadly nicotine addiction by restricting access to tobacco and vaping products, protecting New Yorkers from dangerous cigarette smoke and e-cigarette aerosols, and keeping tobacco and vaping product manufacturers transparent. It is also becoming increasingly difficult to obtain hookah legally, as some states and cities pass laws that prevent the sale of flavored tobacco products. New York City is one of those cities that has made the push, making it difficult to get hookah, although tobacco itself is still legal.

New York`s strict hookah laws went into effect in 2018. Retail stores and other establishments are prohibited from selling or serving hookah to anyone under the age of 21. Flavored hookah containing tobacco cannot be sold in New York except in tobacco bars registered with the Department of Health. In 2002, Section 13-F Section 1399-LL of the Public Health Act prohibited regular or contract carriers such as FedEx®, UPS, and DHL from shipping cigarettes to New York addresses except to an address authorized for the sale of cigarettes. In 2020, the law was amended to restrict the shipment of steam products to registered steam product dealers, export warehouse owners, or federal or state government officials in accordance with official obligations. This change ends the online shipping of vaping product orders to individual consumers, a primary way for minors to purchase vaping products. The national Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act (PACT) of 2009 prohibits the delivery of smokeless cigarettes and tobacco by the U.S. Postal Service. These state and federal laws work together to restrict the sale of cigarettes, other tobacco products, and e-cigarettes over the Internet, requiring Internet vendors to affix tax stamps and pay all federal, state, local, or tribal taxes over the Internet. Young people (ages 18 to 20) in New York City are three times more likely to smoke a hookah than those aged 21 and older.

This may be because they underestimate the health risks of smoking hookah and are unaware that they inhale harmful smoke when visiting an establishment serving hookah. Egypt is one of the most important centers in hookah history, where hookah cafes began and contributed to the social aspects of hookah. Egypt had an age limit of 14 for smoking, making it one of the youngest age limits in the world. The Ministry of Health provides warning signs to licensed non-tobacco hookah establishments. Signs must be clearly visible and posted at each entrance and in any room or area, inside or outside, where hookah smoking is permitted. In 2019, the legal smoking age in the U.S. was only 18, though some cities have different rules for buying and banning smoking. But now the entire country is covered by a minimum age set by the federal government for buying tobacco and smoking from 21. There are all kinds of laws that govern the sale of tobacco products around the world. Their severity varies from a minor crime to completely legal with no age limit.

The Cigarette Marketing Standards Act, 1985 (CMSA) prohibits the sale of cigarettes at less than cost price and prohibits retailers from deliberately avoiding collecting or paying taxes. The CMSA provides for fines and penalties for violations. 1075-C: Add a signage requirement for hookah bars that are authorized to operate under the 139-C Introduction Approval System. Hookah bars should put up a conspicuous sign at their entrance and in any area where it is practiced to warn of the health risks associated with smoking. Learn more about POS health alerts. We`re going to break down the countries that have age restrictions so you know where it is and that it`s not legal to smoke hookah at any age. Effective July 2020, an amendment to Section 13-F Section 1399-EE of the Public Health Act increases penalties for illegal sale of tobacco and vaping products to underage buyers and other violations of ATUPA.