Vaping has become all the rage in recent years—particularly among young people. Whether you are a teenager or are a parent with a child who is interested in vaping, you may be wondering how old do you have to be to vape. And even if you find an applicable law in your area, the law may be confusing or unclear.
We have your back. We’ve analyzed laws throughout the world to determine the legal vaping age for many countries. By following the guidelines below, you will feel more confident as you (or another person) begin vaping.
How Old to You Have to Be to Vape: Laws Around the World
What’s the Minimum Age to Vaping in Europe?
| Country | Legal Age to Vape | Additional |
| France | At least 18 years old. | Nicotine amount does not affect the minimum age. |
| United Kingdom | At least 18 years old. | It is still unclear whether selling nicotine free e-liquid is legal or not. |
| Germany | Generally, at least 18 years old. | The nicotine content in the vape does not impact the minimum age. |
| Italy | At least 18 years old. | There is no restriction for selling e-cigarettes that do not contain nicotine. |
| Belgium | At least 16 years old. | It appears that e-cigarettes not containing nicotine do not have an age minimum. |
| Russia | E-cigarettes are not considered to be a tobacco product. Thus, they are unregulated in Russia. | |
| Slovenia | At least 18 years old. | It is unclear whether there is a minimum age distinction based on whether an e-cigarette contains nicotine. |
| Greece | At least 18 years old. | There is no age minimum if the e-cigarette does not contain nicotine. |
| Spain | Generally, at least 18 years old. | It does not appear that there is a distinction based on whether the e-cigarette contains nicotine. |
| Sweden | At least 18 years old. | There is no age minimum if the e-cigarette does not contain nicotine. |
| Bulgaria | At least 18 years old. | There does not appear to be an age minimum if the e-cigarette does not contain nicotine. |
| Portugal | At least 18 years old. | It does not appear that there is an age minimum for an e-cigarette that does not contain nicotine. |
| Croatia | At least 18 years old. | No impact of nicotine amount on the minimum age in Croatia. |
| Romania | At least 18 years old. | It is unclear whether the nicotine amount impacts the minimum age. |
| Holland | At least 18 years old. | Nicotine amount does not impact the minimum age. |
| Czech Republic | At least 18 years old. | It does not appear that there is an age minimum for an e-cigarette that does not contain nicotine. |
| Switzerland | While there does not appear to be a minimum age, Swiss producers of e-cigarettes agreed to prohibit sales to individuals under 18 years old. | There does not appear to be an age restriction for e-cigarettes that do not contain nicotine. |
What’s the Minimum Age to Vaping in the Americas?
| Country | Legal Age to Vape | Additional |
| United States of America | Generally at least 18 years old, but there are exceptions. | Buyers must be at least 19 years old in Alabama, Alaska, and Utah. Buyers must be at least 21 years old in California, the District of Columbia, Guam, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, and Virginia. As for whether nicotine amount affects the legal age to vape, all e-liquid can only be sold to adults, but you will want to confirm with local lawmakers. |
| Canada | Generally, at least 18 years old. | While the Canadian federal government hasn’t imposed any restrictions on vaping, certain provinces and cities may have different rules. For instance, you must be at least 19 to vape in Ontario and at least 18 in Manitoba. The amount of nicotine content isn’t a factor in determining the minimum age. |
| Paraguay | While there are laws that classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products (meaning an 18 year old minimum), these laws often do not apply. | |
| Brazil | Technically, the sale or marketing of e-cigarettes is illegal. | |
| Argentina | Technically, the sale or marketing of e-cigarettes is illegal. | |
| Mexico | It appears that e-cigarettes containing nicotine are illegal in Mexico. E-cigarettes not containing nicotine do not appear to have any restrictions. |
What’s the Minimum Age to Vaping in the United States?
| State | Legal Age to Vape |
| Alabama | At least 19 years old. |
| Alaska | At least 19 years old. |
| Arizona | At least 18 years old. |
| Arkansas | At least 18 years old. |
| California | At least 21 years old. |
| Colorado | At least 18 years old. |
| Connecticut | At least 18 years old. |
| Delaware | At least 18 years old. |
| District of Columbia | At least 21 years old. |
| Florida | At least 18 years old. |
| Georgia | At least 18 years old. |
| Guam | At least 21 years old. |
| Hawaii | At least 21 years old. |
| Idaho | At least 18 years old. |
| Illinois | At least 18 years old. |
| Indiana | At least 18 years old. |
| Iowa | At least 18 years old. |
| Kansas | At least 18 years old. |
| Kentucky | At least 18 years old. |
| Louisiana | At least 18 years old. |
| Maine | At least 21 years old. |
| Maryland | At least 18 years old. |
| Massachusetts | At least 21 years old. |
| Michigan | At least 18 years old. |
| Minnesota | At least 18 years old. |
| Mississippi | At least 18 years old. |
| Missouri | At least 18 years old. |
| Montana | At least 18 years old. |
| Nebraska | At least 18 years old. |
| Nevada | At least 18 years old. |
| New Hampshire | At least 18 years old. |
| New Jersey | At least 21 years old. |
| New Mexico | At least 18 years old. |
| New York | At least 18 years old. |
| North Carolina | At least 18 years old. |
| North Dakota | At least 18 years old. |
| Ohio | At least 18 years old. |
| Oklahoma | At least 18 years old. |
| Oregon | At least 21 years old. |
| Pennsylvania | At least 18 years old. |
| Rhode Island | At least 18 years old. |
| South Carolina | At least 18 years old. |
| South Dakota | At least 18 years old. |
| Tennessee | At least 18 years old. |
| Texas | At least 18 years old. |
| Utah | At least 19 years old. |
| Vermont | At least 18 years old. |
| Virginia | At least 21 years old. |
| Washington | At least 18 years old. |
| West Virginia | At least 18 years old. |
| Wisconsin | At least 18 years old. |
| Wyoming | At least 18 years old. |
What’s the Minimum Age to Vaping in Asia-Pacific?
| Country | Legal Age to Vape | Additional |
| China | Generally, at least 18 years old. | It is unclear whether nicotine amount affects the minimum age to vape in China. |
| Malaysia | At least 18 years old. | It appears that there is no age limit if vaping without nicotine in Malaysia. Nicotine is classified as a class C poison under the Poisons Act and Control of Drugs and Cosmetic Regulations. Devices without nicotine are classified as electrical appliances. |
| United Arab Emirates | Vaping is technically banned in the UAE. | The Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology is reviewing data on alternative tobacco products, signaling that the UAE’s ban on vaping may be coming to an end. |
| Japan | Minors can purchase non-nicotine e-cigarettes. | There are no regulations for non-nicotine e-cigarettes sold in Japan. |
| Pakistan | The e-cigarette market in Pakistan remains unregulated. | |
| New Zealand | Generally, at least 18 years old. | It does not appear that the amount of nicotine affects the minimum vaping age in New Zealand. |
| South Korea | Generally, at least 19 years old. | Non-nicotine containing e-cigarettes are considered consumer products, meaning that the 19 year old threshold does not apply. |
| Australia | Generally, at least 18 years old, but with some exceptions. | Every state in Australia has slightly different regulations regarding vaping. Non-nicotine vapes are legal, but the legal age to purchase varies from state to state. |
| India | Generally, at least 18 years old. | While there is no federal legislation concerning e-cigarettes, several states have banned e-cigarettes and have declared e-cigarettes with nicotine as unapproved drugs. |
| Israel | There are generally no age restrictions in Israel. | |
| Bahrain | Technically, vaping is not permitted in Bahrain. | |
| Vietnam | Generally, 18 years old. | All e-cigarettes are considered to be tobacco products, meaning that their sale to minors is prohibited. |
What’s the Minimum Age to Vaping in Africa?
| Country | Legal Age to Vape | Additional |
| South Africa | At this time, there is no regulation of e-cigarettes. | A proposed law submitted by the Minister of Health would create an age restriction of 18 years. |
Clearly, vaping has taken the world by storm. That said, the rise of vaping has not been without controversy. Some have argued that vaping is extremely harmful and that it should be strictly regulated (or even banned).
There is real debate among scientists, however, on whether or not vaping and e-cigarettes are truly harmful to users. To be clear, no one is arguing for teenage e-cigarette use. In an ideal world, no young people would be consuming nicotine.
But having said that, the science is still in dispute. As researchers continue to explore the effects of vaping and e-cigarettes, we encourage you to understand the minimum vaping age in your country, follow all laws and regulations, and proceed from there.
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