PIERRE, S.D. -- Lawmakers in South Dakota’s House of Representatives voted 45-21 against a proposal to raise the legal age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21, according to the Associated Press.
Rep. Leslie Heinemann (R), the bill’s sponsor, said the change would have reduced the state’s smoking rate. House Majority Leader Lee Qualm (R) said he couldn’t support legislation denying the purchase of a legal product to people otherwise treated as adults, AP reported.
There is no similar proposal before the state Senate in South Dakota, which means the vote effectively kills the proposal.
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