A new bill in Rhode Island could make the state the first in the country to raise the legal age to buy cigarettes to 21.

According to NBC 10, State Rep. Teresa Tanzi has introduced a bill that would raise the legal age for purchasing tobacco from 18 to 21, making it harder for young people to buy cigarettes. She says the goal behind the bill is to hopefully prevent them from starting smoking.

If the bill passes it would take effect immediately and would make Rhode Island the first state in the country to raise it's minimum age for tobacco purchase to 21. Several municipalities have already raised the smoking age to 21, but no state has yet. Four states have already set their minimum age to 19.

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