NASHUA – Earlier this year, Nashua Board of Aldermen members narrowly rejected an ordinance that could have resulted in a $100 fine for anyone under age 21 caught with cigarettes or other tobacco products.

As part of the budget compromise that passed with members of the New Hampshire General Court earlier this year, the age to buy such products will go up from 18 to 19 as of Jan. 1.

Some Granite State communities have already taken it upon themselves to increase the legal tobacco age, including Dover, Keene and Newmarket to raise the age to 21. Some states have also enacted similar laws raising the age to 21, including Massachusetts to the city’s south.

Several Nashua leaders tried to raise the age earlier this year, but the effort failed. Nonetheless, officials with the City’s Division of Public Health and Community Services are pleased that in 2020, people will have to be 19 to buy these products.

This is especially true given the issues that have arose among the Nashua School District, as vaping is become a clear problem.

“If you go to any school across the state, they’re going to say that vaping is an issue. And if you even go across the country, vaping is an issue,” Nashua Substance Misuse Prevention Coordinator Lisa Vasquez said.

Nearly 50% of Nashua high school students have reported at least trying a vape product. According to an academic health class survey that was conducted back in the spring, 22.5% of youth said they had vaped within 30 days. The survey was completed in 10th grade health class among students ages 14-17.

Vasquez said many school staff members do not always know what these vaping devices look like since they can vary. Moreover, the brain does not finish developing until around the age of 25, meaning the younger a person is when they start using nicotine products, the more likely they will be to become addicted.

“We’re hoping it will alleviate some of the issues the high schools are seeing,” Vasquez said.

In addition to raising the legal tobacco age to 19 across the state, Jan. 1 will also mark the date that vape shops will have to apply for licences from the New Hampshire Division of Enforcement and Licensing.

Vasquez said as of right now, there has not been any licensing in place.

In the meantime, Vasquez has been going to some of the city’s retailers to provide them with information packets ahead of the age change. She said she has engaged in conversations with retailers in the region as well, but has not talked with all of them since there are quite a lot in the area. During the past year, she said Division of Enforcement and Licensing regulators checked 26 tobacco retailers in Nashua for compliance. Four of the retailers failed, she said.

Vasquez said if the tobacco age was raised to 21, it would be easier for retailers to comply because everyone would need to be the same age.

While combustible tobacco use has declined among youth during the last 20 years, vaping has clearly been on the upswing.

“What we really want is to delay initiation of use because we know that the later kids start, the less likely they are to develop a substance use disorder or an addiction to a substance,” Vasquez said.

Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.

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