The new age requirement for tobacco purchases will go into effect in about nine months.

President Donald Trump signed a Congress spending bill on Friday that will make it illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase tobacco products, as well as vape products and electronic cigarettes. The Food and Drug Administration has 180 days to update its regulations, and then the new age requirement will go into effect about 90 days after that—approximately nine months from now.

According to 2019 findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 10.5 percent of middle schoolers and 27.5 percent of high schoolers reported that they had used e-cigarettes. The last few months have seen an influx in lung illnesses due to e-cigarette use, causing much concern across the nation.

Multiple cities and states have already raised the tobacco age to 21, but the legislation signed on Friday will make it a nationwide law. In fact, the legal age to purchase tobacco products has already been raised in 19 states and the District of Columbia.

The effort behind the age change was largely bipartisan.

What are your thoughts? The age to vote, be drafted by the military, and be tried in court as an adult are all 18, while the legal age to drink is 21. Do you think this change will help discourage and decrease smoking in young adults? Tell us in the comments!