Manitou Springs raises minimum age for vaping to 21

MANITOU SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Manitou Springs could become the first city in El Paso County to increase the minimum age for buying vaping products to 21 years old.

City Council voted unanimously to raise the minimum age for buying tobacco and e-cigarette products from 18 to 21.

The final decision will be made Jan. 7 and the age increase is also expected to go nationwide.

A new law passed by Congress on Thursday raised the age from 18 to 21 and will cover cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and all other tobacco products. The age increase would take effect nationwide in about nine months.

The provision was included in a year-end spending bill that passed the House by a 297-120 margin on Tuesday and the Senate. The legislation is now expected to be signed by President Donald Trump.

The number of vaping deaths has climbed over 50 as the outbreak of lung injury cases topped 2,500 nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.